Calls Me Home
by FoxGeisha
Summary: Luffy and Zoro hit an island before they reach Orange Town, where they find another person for their crew. -She didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Luffy came flying from the sky screaming, "I'll never let you have my Gunner!"- OC. No pairings. Told through snippets.
1. Chapter 1

**Mellow**

Danni wasn't one to get herself dragged into situations, liking a somewhat mellow life; she usually avoided them, though she didn't go out of her way to avoid them. But, as she soon discovered, Luffy was the one that _started_ situations and dragged everyone along with him whether they wanted to or not. Of course, it was her own fault they met in the first place.

**Eternal**

"You're eyes look like a panda!" Luffy exclaimed cheerfully with a wide smile and a loud laugh. Zoro gave his captain an exasperated look, but Danni merely laughed in response, not in the least bit offended. The first time she'd met her father's captain, the man had exclaimed nearly the same thing, much to her father's eternal amusement.

"I suppose they do," she chuckled, lips curled in a somewhat indulgent smile. She had no idea who these two men were, but she found herself inviting them over for a somewhat late lunch anyways. The meal was spent listening to Luffy's dream to become Pirate King and all about how he met Zoro.

**Subtle**

Her sickness was rather subtle, and so the two men didn't notice right away. She hadn't exactly hidden it from them; it just never made itself mentionable until she had gotten a whiff of blossoming ferrywings. The resulting attack had left her shaking from the force of her coughs and blood stained palms.

Luffy had stared at her with wide eyes, grin gone from his face for once, while Zoro had given her a calculating look. She'd given them both a small smile, shrugging her shoulders and straightening, "I don't think you'd want someone like me on your crew, Luffy-san."

**Cheat**

Danni struggled against the bonds around her wrists, scowling heavily as she did so. The mayor had sent his men after her once again, and they had managed to catch her by surprise, much to her own disgust. Her only (if meager) comfort was that she had definitely sent a few to the doctor's with her ever trusty flintlock rifle. They weren't bullet wounds, but she preferred to save those bullets for truly worthy opponents.

Her struggles were interrupted by the door opening, and the sleazy man of a mayor entered the room, leering down at her. "You don't get to refuse this time, my precious flower," the man grinned, stepping into her personal space and tilting her chin up with a finger.

She glared at him menacingly and scoffed, "Only because you cheated, you pompous bastard!" Danni wasn't usually so confrontational but the man was a pervert and he had _taken away her rifle_.

**Transparent**

To Danni's disgust the wedding dress she had been forced into was slightly transparent, revealing her torso slightly and way more than she liked. The fact that her hands were literally tied was hidden by the bouquet of flowers forced into her hands, and she was fighting back a vicious cough from the fumes permeating from the fauna.

The mayor was standing next to her, smug smile in place, having finally gotten the thing he so desired. The priest standing at the altar between them was reciting the wedding vows, and Danni felt sick to her stomach (which was _not_ because of the blood she could taste at the back of her throat).

**Believable**

She had pictured many scenarios in her head of some way to escape before she was forced to seal the wedding, but she never would've guessed the actual event that saved her. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Luffy came flying from the sky screaming, "I'll never let you have my Gunner!"

Danni ended up doing both when the young pirate captain landed on the mayor, flattening him to the ground. Tears streaming down her face, but laughter dying swiftly as she finally let her cough take over, dropping the flowers and kicking them away. Hands gripped her own and gently undid the knots, and she was met with the serious face of Luffy, who (when noticing he had her attention) asked, "Are you okay, Danni?"

**Repeat**

Zoro had pilfered her rifle from one of the men who had apparently been keeping it, and handed it to her silently, a trail of beaten men behind him. Danni took it with a grateful smile, stroking the black rifle lovingly and checking it for any marks. Finding none, she gripped the long end of the gun, instead of readying it to pull the trigger, and swung it over her shoulder.

The mayor had gotten up by now, clutching his broken and bleeding nose, and shouting something about how this was unforgivable, and he was the mayor, and they would certainly pay for this dearly. Luffy was staring at the man blankly and Zoro scoffed, "Shut him up already, woman."

Danni let a grin spread across her face, ignoring the blood coating her lips, and readying the rifle in her hand like a bat, said as she swung, "With pleasure." In a repeat version of Luffy's landing, the mayor fell to the ground with a crash from the hit from the butt of the rifle. Luffy cheered, laughing widely, and Zoro had a smirk stretched across his face.

**Addicted**

"Join my crew, Danni!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, even as he stuffed more meat into his mouth. The trio had retreated to her house after the wedding fiasco, and her older brother (adopted) had swiftly prepared a meal for them, thankful to the boys for rescuing her.

Danni smiled at the younger boy indulgently and asked in return, "Even though I'm sick and only have around six years left?" It wasn't that she thought Luffy didn't actually want her on the crew; she just had to make sure he knew what was in store if she joined.

Luffy nodded his head vigorously, swallowing convulsively before he said in a factual tone of voice, "We'll just get an awesome doctor!" Zoro face palmed, but after a somewhat stunned pause, Danni threw her head back and laughed freely. Her brother watched them with a soft smile, already knowing his sister's answer. He'd known that, even though she was sick, she would have left eventually. The sea called to her, and she would follow in her father's footsteps.


	2. Chapter 2

**Write**

Even with Danni on board, they were left to the wiles of the ocean with no idea as to where they were headed. When questioned by Zoro why she didn't know how to navigate, she had laughed and responded, "I never wanted to learn. I told myself if I ever set sail, I'd let the ocean guide me to my destination!"

During their drifting the only girl of the trio of pirates, sat writing, a wistful expression on her face. Zoro, despite his somewhat thickheadedness, knew not to ask what she was writing, but Luffy had no qualms. "What'cha writing?" Luffy asked, leaning towards her.

Danni looked up, and a somewhat stilted silence prevailed. "...A letter I'll never send," she finally answered, lips twisting into a wry smile.

Luffy cocked his head to the side, "To who?"

The dark haired girl's hand paused in its writing, face reluctant to reply, but she did anyways. "My father."

**Soulful**

Danni had never thought something like that could have so much emotion, but for some reason, Luffy managed to make his pleads for food look _soulful_. It hadn't taken long for their food store to be completely depleted, even with Danni's forethought to pack extra. So now, Luffy and Zoro were complaining about being hungry (mostly Luffy, if she were to be honest).

The two boys were sprawled out on the deck of the boat, staring up at the sky when Zoro pointed out, "Oh. A bird."

Luffy's immediate response to seeing said bird was, "Looks pretty tasty..." There was silence where Danni stared up at the bird and wondered how on earth Luffy could see if the thing was tasty or not. Luffy's face split into a wide grin and he turned to his two nakama excitedly, "Let's eat that bird!"

Zoro furrowed his brow and asked, "How are you going to eat it?" Danni didn't bother asking. If Luffy wanted to eat it, he'd find a way. Luffy stretched his arms out and grasped the shaft holding the rolled up sail, and before Danni could even protest, he was shooting himself up towards the bird he wanted to eat.

**Broken**

The two left on the ship stared as their captain was caught by the bird and then with a jolt they realized the bird was taking him away. "YOU MORON!" Danni screamed, even as Zoro frantically began to row the boat in the same direction the bird was heading with their wayward captain. "IS YOUR BRAIN BROKEN?" She gripped her rifle, debating on whether she should shoot at the bird or not, but in the end it was too far away for her to shoot. She wasn't a sniper.

Shouts for them to stop the boat had Danni groaning in exasperation and Zoro complaining about idiots in trouble. He looked at her though and asked, "What do you wanna do?"

She frowned, before shrugging, "I don't care, if they manage to get on they get on, otherwise just run them over."

**Stop Time**

"Just how many of you are charging at one girl?" Zoro asked, slamming his sheathed swords at the pirates. Nami jerked, glancing over her shoulder in surprise.

Luffy grinned widely and cheered, "Zoro!" Danni crouched down next to her caged captain, resting her rifle on her shoulders idly and glancing around the rooftop with half lidded eyes. Luffy's attention was too focused on his first mate to realize the girl was there. "Yah...thank goodness you actually found this place! Get me outta this thing quick!"

"Geez, captain," Danni sighed, rolling her eyes and finally getting said numbskulls' attention. "You attract all sorts of trouble, don't you?"

Zoro sighed, resting one sword on his shoulder, "Is this your idea of fun? You get caught by that bird and carried away, and when we finally find you, you're locked up in a cage? Stupid!" Luffy grinned unrepentantly, and Danni shook her head. The pirates around them started to mutter about the 'Pirate Hunter Zoro', and the girl pouted.

"Luffy, I feel ignored," she whined. Her captain merely laughed. She watched idly as Zoro sliced that weird pirate with a red nose to piece, and noticed something odd. Ignoring Luffy's comment about the guy being weak, she pointed out, "There isn't any blood."

Zoro heard her and he frowned sharply, turning back to the sliced body and preparing to redraw his blade. He drew his sword just in time to block the incoming knife, held by a floating hand. "What the-!" Danni glared at the attempted backstabbing, wrinkling her nose.

**Pauses**

Danni rolled her shoulders, rubbing the back of her neck as she stared at her opponent. Zoro had already finished his own battle, and had fallen to the floor for a nap. "Luffy," the girl called out, looking over her shoulder at her grinning captain. "I'm not going to use any bullets." He merely laughed in response.

"Oi," her opponent called out, face annoyed. "You're gonna need those bullets if you even _think_ to win."

The older woman scoffed, "As if. I'm not wasting any bullets on a circus freak like you." With that said she unhooked her rifle from her back and twirled it over her shoulder easily so she was grasping the neck and the butt rested on her shoulder.

The man across from her narrowed his eyes and scowled before he began to juggle a bunch of black balls. With a flick of his fingers three of the balls were sent flying towards her and she readied the rifle. She swung the gun and hit all three of the balls, sending them straight back the way they came. One of the exploded against her gun, but she forced herself to ignore it, and moved in through the resulting smoke.

She was not about to lose to some circus freak!

**Alcohol**

"Ahh, Luffy, you owe me alcohol after this," Danni complained, trying to regulate her breathing as they ran from the rampaging villagers chasing after them. Luffy laughed, lugging Zoro up even further on his shoulder.

They leaped onto their boat, Nami following behind onto the stole Buggy Vessel. "I'll buy you some the next island, Danni!" Luffy promised cheerily. Danni merely grunted at him, collapsing back against the boat and closing her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Affront**

"Is there a village here?" Luffy asked looking around the island, and pointing a finger absently. Danni climbed out of the boat with an irritated scowl, swinging her rifle over her back, and then pushing her long braid back over her shoulder.

"There better be," she sniffed. "You still owe me alcohol." She was still a bit miffed at the fact that the last island they'd landed at had been uninhabited (mostly) and thus had no alcohol.

Nami smiled, "Don't worry, there looks to be a small village here." Danni nodded shortly, glancing in the direction where she spotted four heads peeking over a log. She raised an eyebrow but ignored them for the moment. Zoro followed her out of the boat stretching.

"Been a long time since I last stood on firm ground," he yawned. Danni snorted, smiling slightly. Luffy laughed cheerily, pointing out that Zoro had slept for most of the time. "By the way, I just noticed a moment ago," Zoro started, ignoring his captain and pointing in the direction of the four heads behind a log, "What are those guys doing there?"

**Run**

Danni didn't understand it, but for whatever reason Usopp looked rather familiar to her, but she couldn't figure out for the life of her why. It wasn't like they had ever met before. She ignored it for now, figuring it would come to her eventually.

Content with that, she returned to her sake, glancing over at the three kids that had approached their table demanding for their captain. Or something like that. It was amazing they had even approached them, considering they had run before. "Yum yum!" Luffy exclaimed happily. "What a delicious meat!" Danni snorted, hiding a grin behind her cup as she took another swallow of the alcohol.

"Your captain...," Zoro started, leaning against his hand and smirking darkly. "We just ate him." The three kids screaming, eyes bulging as they stared at Nami, who took offense to that. Danni merely threw her head back and laughed loudly.

**Experience**

"You're the son of a filthy pirate," the butler (she hadn't even tried to remember his name) said, pushing his glasses up with the heel of his hand, "I'm not surprised that you turned out this way but you had better stay away from oujo-sama!"

Luffy blinked, "His dad was a pirate?" Danni frowned sharply. There was nothing wrong with having a pirate for a dad! She clenched her hands into fists, biting her cheek to stop herself from saying something.

"You and oujo-sama belong to totally different worlds. Is it money you're looking for? Name your price," the butler continued, voice condescending. Danni did not like this man; he rubbed her completely the wrong way.

Kaya apparently had had enough as she yelled, "That's enough, Clahador! Apologize to Usopp-san at once!"

The man turned his head in her direction in an almost lazy manner, hands held out, "There is no need for me to apologize to this uncivilized person! I'm just telling the truth." He turned back to Usopp, pushing his glasses up with the heel of his hand, "I feel sorry for you... You hate your father, don't you? Because he's a "dumb treasure hunter" who deserted his family and village!"

"I won't let you say another bad thing about my father!" Usopp growled, glaring at the man fiercely. Danni frowned and moved her rifle from her back and into her hand. She was just about reaching her limit on the filth spewing from the butler's mouth. She had experienced it before, but it still never failed to make her blood boil.

Clahador looked down at the teen, "Why are you so angry? Not very smart, are you? You should have just told your usual lies...and say that your real father is a travelling merchant...or that you and him are not blood-related..."

Before Usopp could do something completely stupid, Danni had her rifle in hand and was pointing the muzzle at the man's forehead, eyes hard. "What's so bad about having a pirate for a father, huh?" she sneered coldly, finger hovering above the trigger, ready to fire.

**Fatality**

Luffy hit a fist on the palm of his hand, "Ah. So those two..." Zoro glanced over at him in confusion, but kept his hand on the hilt of his sword. He'd been ready since Danni had moved her rifle, ready to fight if it came down to it. He'd never seen her like this.

Danni kept the gun steady, no hint of moving the potential cause of fatality in sight. Clahador seemed to have no worry about the gun hovering over his forehead as he scoffed, "Pirates are nothing but worthless scum, and their unfortunate spawn are no less different."

A cold smile crossed her face and she nearly purred, "Really? Cause I'm rather proud of my daddy, and I can say with a surety Usopp is rather proud of his as well."

"Danni," Luffy called, face and voice serious.

Wrinkling her nose, she nonetheless flicked the safety back on her gun, and swung it across her shoulders, "Hai, Hai, captain." She stepped back to her crew, glaring mulishly at the butler, and smirking in satisfaction when he continued to spill filth about Usopp's father and got himself punched in the face and screamed at.

**Helping Hand**

Danni followed Luffy as he looked for Usopp, who had vanished shortly after they had all left the mansion. They found him on a cliff under a tree. Danni hovered in the back as Luffy climbed up the tree and appeared in front of Usopp's face, hanging upside down from a branch. Luffy landed in a handstand from the tree, and Danni moved closer, arms crossed in front of her. "Yasopp is your father, right?" Luffy asked.

"Eh?" Usopp exclaimed, as Luffy sat down, Danni following him shortly after and plopping right down next to her captain, ignoring the shocked look Usopp was giving her. "How did you know?"

Luffy grinned cheekily, "I met him when I was young."

Danni raised a hand up lazily, "I did as well, though not the same time as Luffy."

"What? You guys met my father?" Usopp cried, gaping at both of them.

Luffy continued to grin happily, "Yeah. You look a lot like Yasopp; that's why I felt like I had met you before. Your story helped me remember." Danni had to wonder if Luffy had figured out who her own father was. She would have to guess he figured it out from her performance earlier, but who knew with him.

"Where is he now?" Usopp asked eagerly.

Luffy shrugged, "I don't know, but he has to be with Shanks for sure! Yasopp is my favorite crewman!" Danni didn't know if she should feel offended by that or not.

**Breeze**

Before Onion could hit the tree, Danni caught him in her arms, glaring at Jango and frowning. "It's not nice to throw kids, you know," she drawled, wrinkling her nose, and putting the shell shocked kid down on the floor behind her.

Jango stared at her silently, before cocking his head to the side. "Nice? Why would I want to be nice? I'm a pirate," the man pointed out.

"Ugh, your kind of pirate is despicable," Danni spat, lunging forward and drawing her rifle at the same time. Jango scoffed at the weapon, readying his chakrams and the two weapons collided. Much to the man's shock the wood of the rifle didn't splinter, or even scuff the surface under his blade. The girl grinned in response, twirling her gun, and smashing the butt into his stomach.

Jango frowned, coughing slightly, having just barely dodged the blow. He lashed out with his chakram, and she ducked under, but missed the second one coming at her from the side. All three of the children yelled out a warning, and Kaya let out a short scream as the blade neared the other woman's back. Blood flew through the air.

**Get Up**

"Damn!" Zoro cursed, trying to run faster to reach the clearing the group was in, the three kids huddled protectively in front of Kaya and Danni bleeding profusely from her back, lying on the ground, but gripping Jango's leg to prevent him from going after the others.

Usopp frowned, "We're not going to make it."

"Well, I'm certainly going to try!" Zoro grunted darkly preparing to pull one of his swords out of their sheaths. Jango scowled down at Danni who was glaring up at him defiantly, still with her vice like grip on his leg. The man lashed out with his leg, hitting her in the face, and her grip vanished as she cried out, coughing harshly.

Usopp gulped, thinking furiously on what to do. Zoro, however, yelled out, ignoring the pain of his own wound, "GET UP, WOMAN!" Usopp grinned. That was it! Danni swallowed a glob of blood, jolting at the sound of Zoro's shout, and scrambling to her feet unsteadily and lurching forward awkwardly. Her back and chest were screaming at her, but she persevered, and managed to wrap her arms around Jango's waist tightly, staunchly refusing to let go.

"Zoro, cut the branches!" Usopp muttered in the swordsman's ear. He nodded tightly and pushed his body further, slicing through the branches, and vindictively enjoying the shocked face of Jango, when he was hit by one of Usopp's projectiles. Danni let go of the man, scrambling back to avoid the man's body as it fell back on the ground, completely unconscious.

Zoro let Usopp clamber off his back and fell to the ground next to Danni, catching her with a grunt when she pitched forward. She grinned up at him weakly and he snorted. "Stupid woman," he grumbled.

"I'm gonna use your stomach as a handkerchief, brat," she muttered, coughing into her crewmate's stomach harshly, the noise muffled by the haramaki and by the rest of the group's voices. Zoro winced at the sound, tightening his grip briefly, before relaxing it and letting the girl ride out her coughs.

**FOXGEISHA: **I'm typing this note out as a brief explanation for some of my writing habits that I have. My updates WILL NOT be as quick as these first three have been. I'm going to try and be at least 1-2 chapters ahead, before I post a new chapter, but I don't make any guarantees. I'm actually hoping to keep up a somewhat steady pace with this story, because I enjoy my character and writing this, but sometimes my mind just doesn't compute and I don't have the desire to type.

As a side note, I'm not the type of author to withhold chapters to get more reviews, but reviews are much appreciated, and if you have questions, or concerns about anything, type them up in a review and I'll try to reply! I love getting reviews, and it saddens me a bit that I haven't gotten any yet, but I hope I'll start getting some if I continue to push through.

Sorry for the long author's note and I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Kudos to anyone who can guess who Danni's dad is (not that it's really a secret or anything; honestly, to me it's kind of obvious…).


	4. Chapter 4

**Worst Day**

"Luffy, you had better aim that cannon ball away from the restaurant," Danni snapped. Luffy looked at her with wide eyes, but did as told, only just barely managing to avoid the restaurant.

The captain climbed off the railing, grinning like an idiot, and point towards the ship, "To the food!" Nami face palmed and Zoro smirked. Usopp laughed, trying and failing to hide his utter shock at what Luffy had just done. Danni merely grunted, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

"You guys go on ahead, I'm gonna go lie down for a bit," Danni called, waving over her shoulder as she headed below deck. Luffy waved back cheerfully and Zoro grunted in affirmation. Nami quirked an eyebrow at the other girl's retreating back, while Usopp frowned worriedly.

"Is Danni okay?" the sharpshooter asked.

Luffy merely laughed, "She'll be fine!" Zoro shook his head, and made a mental note to bring something back for the woman. It wasn't like Luffy would remember to. A while later, the crew was back, Zoro with a bowl of hot soup in tow and Danni was regaled with the tale of their new chef from Luffy, who was grinning in childish excitement as he did so.

**Villain**

"Man, he must have pissed someone off in the Grand Line," Danni muttered, resting her cheek on a fist and staring at the current "villain", Don Krieg, with lazy eyes.

"Don't be upset, but I don't think we should go there!" Usopp said weakly, face pale. Danni snickered at the younger boy.

Zoro rolled his eyes, "You'd better shut up." The swordsman leaned back in his chair, his white katana resting on his shoulder, while Usopp had his hands pressed flat against the table, frowning. Danni merely grinned, rifle between her legs with the butt on the floor, and muzzle, caught in the crook of her arm.

"Looks like we caught some attention," Danni laughed.

Zoro grinned, "Are you going to fight, Luffy? Need some help?" The two older ones of the trio easily ignored the stares they were getting, whereas Usopp was lucky he had the table to hide his shaky knees.

Luffy blinked at them, "Ehh? No. I don't need any help. You guys just sit there."

Don Krieg threw his head back and laughed. Loudly and obnoxiously. "Are they your crew?" he asked, between laughs. "Only a bunch of kids! Hah!"

Luffy frowned and held up two fingers, "That's not all. I have two more!" Sanji muttered something about being included in that number, making Danni snicker again.

"Stop fooling around, kid!" Don yelled, laughter gone and anger replacing it. "Because of lack of information, my 5000 men were destroyed in seven days on that evil sea!" Everyone made exclamations of shock and confusion, while Danni barely managed to repress an amused smile.

"Did you hear that?" Usopp cried, tears streaming down his face. "50 ships were destroyed in only a week!"

Zoro smirked, "That's so interesting."

"More like pathetic," Danni snorted.

**Bewitching**

Danni bit her lip, standing next to Luffy who was watching Zoro silently, lips turned down at the corners slightly. "Ahh," Danni sighed rubbing the back of her neck, and pulling her braid forward and over her shoulder. She fiddled with it nervously, chewing on her lip and watching the one sided fight with mixed feelings.

Seeing the knife slice into Zoro's chest, her arm snapped out and gripped onto Luffy's arm tightly, never tearing her gaze away from the sight. Danni felt like she was bewitched, watching the blood splash to the deck, and unable to tear her eyes away. "Do you want this knife to go through your heart?" Mihawk asked. "Why aren't you stepping back?"

Zoro kept his eyes forward as he answered, "I...I don't know. However, if I take a single step back...I'd feel that I had broken my promise, and I will not be able to stand here again." Danni's fingers tightened around Luffy's arm, and she jolted slightly, when her captain placed his hands on top of her's, even though he wasn't tearing his eyes away either.

**Jubilant**

"Don't worry, that kid is alive," Mihawk said simply, back turned to Luffy, who was back flat on the deck. Danni could hold her tears in and let them overflow, lips stretched into a grin. She barely listened to the man challenge her nakama; her fist slowly unclenching from where it was wrapped around the Baratie's railing, and moving to cover her mouth in relief.

"Kid," Mihawk started, looking over his shoulder slightly to look at Luffy. "What's your goal?"

"To become the greatest pirate," Luffy answered with a matter of fact tone of voice.

Mihawk smirked, "What a stupid dream. It means you have to become stronger than me, you know?" Danni coughed lightly into her hand, trying to relax her body from its tense state. She really didn't want to have an attack now, not in front of all these people.

Luffy scowled and responded, "I don't care. I will become one and you _will_ see that!" He then turned away from the swordsman and yelled, "Usopp! Is Zoro alright?"

Usopp nodded; face pale even as he applied pressure to the wound, his hands becoming stained with blood, "He's not dead, just unconscious!" With cries of surprise, Zoro's sword rose up in the air.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked, eyes wide.

"Lu-Luffy...C-can you hear me?" Zoro asked weakly, continuing when his captain replied in affirmation. "I am sorry for making you worry about me. If I can't become an invincible swordsman, you'll be worried about me, right?" Danni couldn't stop her tears, or her wide smile as the man continued, after shouting out in pain. "From now on! I won't lose to anyone ever again! Until I can defeat that man and become an invincible swordsman! I won't ever lose! Forever! Do you have any problems, greatest pirate?"

Luffy laughed, a wide, relieved smile stretched across his face, "Nope!" Danni let out a somewhat hysterical, but certainly jubilant laugh, closing her eyes against her tears.

**Languid**

"My captain's not gonna die," Danni scoffed, crouching down next to Sanji, and glaring at him. The blonde gave her a wide eyed stare, but his attention was soon caught back towards Luffy, her comment forgotten. She watched her captain silently, trusting him to win, no matter what. She sighed, stretching languidly as she stood, shouldering her rifle.

"He's unbelievable," Sanji muttered, clutching his ribs.

Zeff wobbled over to the blonde, face serious. Danni stepped back and away, keeping her eyes on her captain. "Take a close look at him, Sanji," Zeff started. "It's hard to find someone like that...someone who won't give up until death."

"Won't give up until death?" Sanji parroted, even those his eyes were on Luffy.

Zeff hummed in agreement, "He's a very dangerous man to fight." Danni had to agree with that. Sometimes the most dangerous people in the world are the ones who won't give up, not until they're dead. They'll keep on coming, no matter how injured they are.

**Obsessive**

Danni cursed, tossing her rifle at Zeff, who caught it automatically, looking at her with wide eyes, before she was rushing off, ignoring both of the chefs. Zeff explained the devil fruit to Sanji who cursed as well and was about to dive into the ocean, when Danni pushed him aside with a glare. "He's _my _captain! You just sit on your ass and rest!" she snarled, before taking a deep breath and diving into the water.

She quickly found her captain, and gripped him tight, before kicking hard up to the surface, ignoring the painful tightness in her chest. She was saving her captain first, and her attack could bloody well wait! She broke the surface, gasping for air, and scowled at the unconscious Luffy. "God, why do you have to be such an obsessive idiot," she coughed, rolling her eyes as she moved for the deck.

He may be an idiot, but he was still her captain.

**Recoil**

"Oh yeah!" Luffy exclaimed, lips spread in a wide, toothy smile. "Sanji, this is Danni, my Gunner!" The rubber man gestured to the woman sitting next to him, eyes closed and rifle between her legs and resting on one shoulder. Upon the sudden introduction though, dark eyes opened to stare at the blonde, who was looking at with hearts in his eyes.

Before she could react the blonde chef had her hands in his, bent on one knee and exclaiming, "You are a beauty to behold and love has struck me through! You are blossoming like a fragrant flower in the-"

He was cut off by Danni recoiling almost violently, and flipping her rifle up and thus slamming the butt into the chef's stomach. She stared at the downed blonde, eye twitching and her hands tight around her weapon. "Do not _ever_ call me that again!" she hissed, a shiver crawling down her back in remembrance of the sleazy mayor that had tried to marry her. Sanji managed to choke out something along the lines of 'yes, ma'am'. Luffy was laughing loudly, clutching his stomach.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: No fighting for Danni this time, but there will definitely be some action in the next arc, so look forward to that! She also nips Sanji's affection name calling in the bud, and establishes most of their relationship in that one hit. Heh.


	5. Chapter 5

**Vehement**

Danni stayed silent, arms crossed in front of her and merely watching quietly. Luffy suddenly fell back and Johnny let out a cry of shock. Luffy crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, "I'm gonna sleep here." Danni snorted quietly and crouched down, cupping her chin in her hand and chewing on an unlit cigarette Sanji had given her when asked.

"Sleep!? At a time like this?" Johnny shouted, waving his arms around in the air wildly.

Sanji stomped his foot a couple times on the ground as he exclaimed, "And you're gonna sleep in the middle of the street like this?"

Luffy yawned, keeping his eyes closed, "I've never thought of getting off this island, and I don't care about what happens here. Besides, I feel a little sleepy now." Danni looked off to the side, switching the unlit cancer stick to the other side of her mouth. "I will sleep now." Zoro face palmed, Johnny gaped, at loss for words, and Sanji frowned, eyebrow twitching.

"Stop playing around!" Nami shouted, face pale and hands clenched tightly. "You'll get killed!" Danni stood at that, lips turned down into a frown. She stepped forward, and looked the younger girl dead in the eye, making her flinch back at the intensity.

Danni narrowed her eyes, before her expression blanked and she said quietly, but with a somewhat harsh vehemence, "You should trust more in your captain."

Nami flinched back and spat, "He's not my captain."

**Collide**

"Let's go," Luffy ordered. Danni crouched down next to Nami, who was looking at the men of their crew, wounded hand covering her mouth and tears streaming down her face.

The older girl reached out and rested a hand on the back of her neck and tugged her forward into a tight embrace. Nami let out a stifled sob, and lips brushed her ear as Danni murmured, "I told you to trust your captain." Nami bit her lip and buried her face in the dark haired woman's shoulder. Danni tightened her grip briefly, before pulling away and grinning, "You should trust your nakama, Nami." The navigator let out another sob, but managed a tremulous smile.

Danni smiled and then stood, turning her back on the girl and heading after the boys. With her face unseen by Nami, she let her smile vanish and a dark look took over her face. Those pirates were going to pay.

**On My Mind**

"Oii," Danni called out, by passing the villagers standing in front of the broken entrance. She stepped through the gate, rifle resting against her shoulder. She looked around, quirking an eyebrow at the damage, and noticed something was missing. "Hey, where's the captain?"

Zoro growled, glancing her way briefly, "He got tossed in the water. We can't get him right now." Danni sighed, tapping her fingers against her gun's neck. She'd already figured that Usopp had run and had his own opponent, and by the looks of it Sanji and Zoro had their own opponents. What was a girl to do?

"I will be your opponent," the fourth fishman spoke up, looking at her with a blood thirsty leer. His mouth was full of needle like teeth, and a weird antenna like thing with a bulb at the end protruded from his forehead. She wrinkled her nose at him, but nodded in acceptance anyway. She had the distinct feeling she would be glad her dad had given her a reinforced rifle.

**Mirror**

Danni gritted her teeth, tightening her grip on her rifle and ignoring the blood dripping steadily down her face. She had managed to get into the forest with her opponent following after her, but it seemed as if the shadows of the many trees were more of an advantage for her opponent than herself. She cursed under her breath from her perch in a tree and clutched her throbbing side, and trying to ignore the blood there as well.

The fishman used his antenna as a sort of hypnotizer thing, before he attacked with his teeth when you were too distracted and confused by the glowing orb at the end of the antenna. It had her at a disadvantage and she could feel her lungs beginning to protest the work out. Shaking her head roughly, she muttered, "Alright, if I can't stop being distracted by the orb with my eyes open, I'll just have to keep them shut."

With that in mind she leapt from the tree and landed on the ground, falling into a roll and into a bush, closing her eyes once she hit the floor. Slowing her breathing after she had stood, she used her ears to listen for the fishman she had outrun just minutes before. It wouldn't be long before he caught up to her. The wind whistled through the trees, and she readied her rifle when she heard the tell of someone travelling through the brush.

Closer. Her wounds throbbed painfully. Closer. She tightened her grip on the rifle. Now. She swung with all her might and the gun hit with a satisfying thunk. Her victory was short lived though as her gun was pushed away and a fist was planted in her stomach.

**Kneel**

"How pathetic you humans are," Anglad, her opponent, laughed, forcing her to the ground with his grip on her hair. "You should kneel before my superiority." She bit back the pained tears at the harsh grip on her hair, wincing when her knees hit the forest floor hard. Her rifle was somewhere off to the side, out of reach, and she couldn't force his hand to let go with her own.

Her chest constricted painfully and her breath hitched, and her eyes widened. No. Not now. Please. Her body paid no attention to her pleas and before she could stop it, coughs wracked her body. Blood splashed past her lips and onto the ground, and Danni bent over roughly, the grip on her hair gone as the fishman stepped back in surprise.

Fingers digging into the earth, she shook violently, coughing harshly as even more blood spilled past her lips. "Damnit," she gasped, the corners of her vision turning black. Her hair was mess, most of it coming out of its normally tight braid, and shadowing her face. Anglad was laughing and she had no time to react before his foot connected with her side. A loud crack echoed through the air.

**Locked**

His hand was locked around her throat, and he was glaring at her menacingly. "Why won't you just die already?" he growled, spitting a glob of blood off to the side. A nasty bruise was forming around his eye and blood caked his forehead. He was also missing quite a few teeth.

Danni forced a blood stained smile across her face, "Cause I still have six more years." He gave her a confused look, not understanding in the least. "Also," she started her grin widening. "You shouldn't have brought me over here."

Before he could figure out what she meant, she stomped on the edge of the butt of her rifle, causing it to flip up and she grasped the neck tightly. He jerked back, letting go of her neck and he sneered, "What's the use of your weapon when you don't even shoot it?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, and quick as lightning the gun was flipped with the muzzle pointed at his heart and her finger pulled the trigger. He had no chance to dodge at the point blank range and the shot went straight through, blood exploding from the back. "Whoever said I didn't shoot?" she asked coldly as the corpse fell to the floor with a thud.

With a grunt Danni fell back on her butt, leaning against a tree tiredly. She coughed weakly, sighing deeply afterwards. "Sorry, Luffy," she muttered. "I think I'll have to wait here for you." Tucking her rifle in the crook of her arm and ignoring her blood caked skin, she closed her eyes and blacked out.

**Punch**

"Hey, Nami," Danni started, startling both the girl and the doctor. Nami looked at her in silent question and the older woman grinned. "Mind if I get a tattoo with you?"

Nami gaped at her, "What? Why would you want to do that?" Danni rolled her eyes and punched the girl on the head lightly.

"Brat," she muttered fondly. "I figured we should do something together, since we never took baths together. I've been meaning to get a tattoo anyways. It'll be a bonding thing, yeah?" Nami stared at her with wide eyes, clutching her head, and Danni grinned, "Since we're nakama and all."

Nami swallowed, before she crafted her face into an imperious look, "I'm not paying for you!" Danni laughed, throwing her head back. Nami didn't say anything when Danni's tattoo looked like a stylized smoking bullet, and Danni didn't say anything when Nami's tattoo looked like a stylized windmill with a tangerine.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: As a note, Danni's tattoo is a reference towards her father, and is placed on her outer left thigh, close to her hip. I'm trying to add a bit more bonding moments between crew members, and let you get a feel for Danni's relationships with her nakama.


	6. Chapter 6

**Tight**

"Hmm, they're a bit too tight," Danni muttered, adjusting the gloves on her hand while frowning slightly. With a sigh she tugged them off and smiled apologetically at the shop owner. "Sorry, but I don't think I'm going to buy anything," she apologized, bowing slightly as she gave the gloves back.

The shopkeeper smiled and waved his hand, "Not to worry, dear. However, seeing your gun there, you might want to check out the gun shop across the way."

Danni straightened and nodded her head. "Thank you," she said, before leaving the shop and heading off to look for said gun shop. She needed to stock up on bullets and get a new care kit for her rifle, and since she was there she'd pick up some supplies for the cannons. She wondered how the others were doing.

**Low**

She ducked low into an alley, sighing at the sight of the marines rushing about shouting. Luffy apparently created a ruckus and now they had marines chasing after them. How lovely. Ignoring the rain pounding on her, she rushed down the alley and made her way to the docks. She had faith that he nakama would make it to the ship.

**Health**

Danni coughed violently, gasping wetly as she tried to breath. The shower water pounded her back as she hunched over, covering her mouth and coughs shaking her body. Slowly, the coughs began to dwindle and she carefully straightened her body, staring down at her blood stained palms blankly, even as the water washed it all away.

Her health was getting worse.

The storm they had left in from Loguetown had definitely not helped, and she was pretty sure she had a mild cold, but with her illness it was a bit more serious. She could have possibly lost a year with it. Sighing, she quickly finished her shower and headed up to the deck, towel around her shoulders, and hair tumbling down her back in a mess of waves.

Luffy was sitting on the railing of the upper deck, while Zoro was fast asleep against the mast. Nami was probably in her room, Sanji in the kitchen, and who knew where Usopp was. Danni made her way up to her captain, running her fingers through her hair to get some of the tangles out. Luffy glanced over at her when she leaned against the railing next to him, and frowned.

"Are you okay, Danni?" the teen asked, eyes sharp and probing.

She winced and gave him a small smile, shaking her head slightly, "Nothing you can help with, Luffy." The rubber man frowned, pursing his lips, but let it go, his face returning to his usual smile. "Just find a good doctor soon, kay?" she added, not looking at her captain.

Luffy nodded firmly, "Un!"

**Older**

"You have about five years left, girl," the older man told her gently, careful to keep his voice quiet to avoid being heard by the rest of the crew, as per her request.

Danni sighed, running a hand down her face tiredly. "I was afraid of that," she muttered, before giving the doctor a smile, "Thank you, Crocus-san." The man watched her return to her crew with a small frown. If he had the time and resources he could probably find a way to lengthen the girl's life by quite a few years, but he had neither.

"Explains why that brat immediately asked if I could be his doctor when he found out I was one," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. There wasn't anything he could do. He wondered what had caused her to become a pirate though, knowing that the more she over worked her body the less time she had to live.

**Vital**

"You guys had a lot of fun while we were asleep," Danni laughed, following behind her captain easily, as the boy dragged Sanji (by his leg) and Usopp (by his nose) behind him.

Luffy huffed, "It wasn't all fun! They blew up that curly haired guy!" Danni hummed, and hopped onto the ship as they reached it, Luffy following behind her. She glanced over at Vivi, the apparently princess of Alabasta, and raised an eyebrow. The girl was the one from earlier that had tried to kill Laboon.

She shrugged and ignored it. The information wasn't vital to their survival, so what did she care? She was startled from her thoughts as she helped sail the ship at the appearance of a stranger on the ship. She looked over at the dark haired woman with a western hat on her head and lips curled in a mysterious smile.

Danni furrowed her brow at the woman, trying to figure out the mixed signals she was getting from Ms. All Sunday. She stayed silent, letting her crew do all the talking and smiled slightly when Luffy crushed the Eternal Pose with his fist. "You don't have a right to decide our route!" the captain exclaimed, face fierce.

"Really?" Ms. All Sunday responded lightly, a smirk curling her lips. "That's a pity." The woman swung off her perch on the railing and cocked her hip out, placing a hand on it as she did so. "I don't mind a person with a great spirit like you," she said with a quiet laugh and enigmatic smile. "If you're lucky, we'll meet again."

Danni eyed the direction the woman left in, head cocked to the side. "I don't know what that woman is thinking...," Vivi murmured, eyes wide and fingers curling into fists.

"Hmm, I don't think anyone rightly does," Danni responded, speaking to the girl for the first time. "I don't think she's really good _or_ bad."

Nami shook her head, "Well, it doesn't matter. Don't think about that."

Zoro grunted, arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the mast, "There is one person like that on our ship, too." His eyes flicked over to Luffy, who remained oblivious, and Danni smirked, shaking her head. She supposed they did have a person like that on their own ship.

**Dangerous**

Danni yawned as she stepped out on deck, shading her eyes from the sun as she did so. She paused and raised an eyebrow when she saw a deserted ship. "Eh? Where is everyone?" she muttered, looking around.

"Ah! Danni-chan!" Sanji called, swinging down from the upper deck with a bright smile.

She blinked at him and gave a smile in return, asking, "Where is everyone? They didn't just leave you to watch the ship did they?" Sanji shook his head a slightly worried look crossing his face. The two met on the middle of the deck and Danni crossed her arms waiting for the blonde chef to talk.

"I've been waiting for them for awhile, but nobody's shown up," he explained. "There must be something wrong." Danni frowned, a dangerous look clouding her face.

"We'd better look for them, then," the older woman said grimly, shouldering her rifle and heading for the edge of the ship so she could jump down. Sanji followed after her with hearts in his eyes. Eventually the two of them commandeered a tiger to ride and stumbled across a rather strange house. Danni raised an eyebrow, hopping off the tiger and touching the house carefully. "It's...made of wax?"

**Fever**

Danni frowned, looking sharply over at Nami when she heard the distinct sound of a hitch in breath. She was next to the younger girl in an instant, pressing her hand to the girl's forehead. "Damnit!" she cursed, scooping the girl up into her arms, just as she fainted, cheeks a bright red with fever. "You stupid girl!"

Danni headed for the girl's room, shouting, "Luffy, get your ass in here now! Nami's sick!" There was a rush that Danni ignored easily as she tucked Nami into her bed tightly, and felt her forehead, cursing again when it came back scorching. She thanked Vivi when the girl handed her a damp cloth, a bucket of cold water next to her.

"We need to find a doctor," she muttered. "Soon."

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Not too much going on this chapter, but you do find out a bit more about Danni's illness. Chopper and arriving at Alabasta are next, so look forward to the snowy mountain and desert sand!

Also, there's a link in my profile of what Danni looks like, now and after the 2yr time skip! So if you want to, check it out!


	7. Chapter 7

**Bare**

"If we don't go to the mountain, we can't see the doctor," Luffy said, staring straight at Nami as he hovered over her dazed form. "Let's go hiking."

"Don't be stupid!" Sanji exclaimed. "You're gonna take Nami-san on a hike?" Danni stayed silent, looking out the window and up at the mountain, tugging the panda beanie she was wearing (Luffy had given it to her) down slightly, shadowing her eyes.

"It's okay. I can carry her," Luffy responded seriously, staring at them blankly.

Vivi gaped at him and shouted, "But it can make her worse!"

Luffy frowned at her, "What? I'll take her to the doctor, and then she'll get better soon." Danni moved over to Nami's side, brushing the younger girl's hair back and away from her sweaty forehead, frowning in concern. She ignored the one sided arguing between Vivi and Luffy, rubbing soothing circles across Nami's bare forehead with her thumbs.

Nami laughed suddenly, and Danni scooted over as Luffy instantly made his way over. "I'll leave it to you now, captain," the navigator said, holding a hand up weakly.

Luffy grinned and clapped their hands together, much gentler than he would have normally, "That's right! Just trust me!"

Danni smiled when Nami caught her eye, and then said, "I'll be going with you, Luffy." Her captain grinned at her and nodded in acceptance to the statement. He wasn't going to object, because he wanted her to see the doctor too, even though Nami was more immediate.

**Pretend**

"Luffy, give me Sanji," Danni said quietly, ignoring the rapidly growing pain in her chest. Luffy stared at her with narrowed eyes, and she stared back determinedly. Finally, he nodded and handed the blonde over to her. She grunted at the weight, but swiftly tied the blonde to her back, before following her captain up.

She ignored the pain in her chest and the fact that her fingers were becoming raw and bleeding, pretending it didn't exist. She would make it to the top. She had too. She didn't want her nakama to die. She wouldn't let that happen. Gritting her teeth she dug her fingers and toes into the mountain and continued to climb.

**Energy**

"My, my," Danni chuckled, sitting up in bed slowly. "Everyone has so much energy for being injured." Luffy laughed from where he was sitting on a stool next to her bed. Danni smiled back in response, before she gently heaved herself up and onto the edge of the bed.

"I got us a new crewmember!" Luffy exclaimed happily. "He's a doctor!" Before Danni could respond, the door opened and a fuzzy face appeared around the door. "Chopper! Come meet our Gunner!" Luffy cheered, stretching his arms out and grabbing the reindeer, who shouted and struggled as he was pulled in.

Danni smiled at the reindeer, "It's nice to meet you, Doctor Chopper." Chopper frowned at her, ceasing his struggling. He clambered up onto the bed next to her and stared at her intensely.

"You're sick," he stated. Danni gave a sad smile in reply. He frowned and pulled out a stethoscope before proceeding to do an in depth examination. Luffy stayed silent, watching with a for once serious face. "I can't cure it, but I can extend your life for a few more years. Right now, you only have about 4 and half years left," Chopper finally said as he sat back, finished with his examination.

Danni sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, "I knew that trip through the snow had shaved some time off." Luffy frowned at that, and Chopper was rifling through his medical bag, before he pulled out a bottle filled with a bright red liquid.

"You'll have to take a tablespoon of this every six months," Chopper said sternly, pressing the bottle in the woman's hand. "It won't cure you, but it will help strengthen your body and combat the disease, adding a few more years to your life. The more often you overwork your body, the more often you'll have to take it."

Danni smiled and hugged the reindeer, "Thank you, Doctor Chopper, but can you do me a favor?" She let go of the blushing doctor and looked him in the eye. "Don't let the other's know I'm sick? I want them to have fond memories of me, not ones where they're constantly worrying when I'm going to die. Right now, only Luffy, Zoro, and you know I'm sick. I'd like to keep it that way."

Chopper frowned and glanced over at Luffy, who nodded, and the reindeer locked gazes with the Gunner and nodded firmly, "I will do as you ask."

**Disaster**

"So tie them on tight," Zoro instructed as he tied the knot around his left wrist. "Our enemies have plenty of mysteries."

Vivi smirked as she tied the bandage around Nami's forearm, "I see." Danni stayed silent as she tied her own bandage around her wrist, watching Chopper tie Luffy's around his wrist as well from the corner of her eye. She hadn't been on deck when Mr. 2 had shown up and done his stuff, but Luffy didn't seem _too_ worried about the problem.

However, Danni had come to expect disaster wherever her captain went.

"As long as we can see these, we don't need to doubt one another," Nami said, her own smirk pulling her lips.

Sanji furrowed his brow as he tied the knot off with his teeth, and asked, "Does he really look like us that much? When he does his Mane Mane fruit thing?"

Usopp shook his head, waving his hands around, "He doesn't _look_ like us, he _is_ us." When Sanji growled something about not being interested in Okamas, the sharpshooter added with a grin, "Too bad, you really should have seen it!"

"Now that we know he's among the enemy, we can't allow for any careless individual actions!" Zoro said, bumping his fist against his own bandaged arm. Danni cocked an eyebrow and wondered just who Zoro was talking about in that specific remark.

Shaking her head, she headed over to where Chopper was asking Usopp what he should do, and the teen was no doubt giving some odd answer to the poor reindeer. "-away from any enemies you can't beat! Just do your best!" the sharpshooter was saying, clenching his fists up in front of him and baring his teeth.

Sanji scoffed, "You're just telling that to yourself!" Carue let out a quack of agreement.

"What I can do...," Chopper repeated, before nodding firmly. "Got it!"

Danni shook her head and bopped both sniper and doctor on the heads lightly. "Trust in your nakama to pick up the slack of what you can't do, brats," Danni said, raising an eyebrow at the both of them pointedly. Usopp blushed and chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck, while Chopper blinked up at her in astonishment.

"Okay!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed, jumping to the middle of the deck with a wide smile and holding his left arm out, fist clenched. "Whatever happens from now on, this left arm..." Everyone joined him in a tight circle, holding their left fists out (or hoof and wing for Chopper and Carue respectively). "Is proof of our friendship!"

**Blush**

"What did you get from your brother?"

Luffy shrugged, "I don't know. It's a scrap of paper." He handed both paper and hat over to Nami, along with a sewing needle and thread.

"What does it mean?"

Luffy shrugged again, "I dunno, but Ace told me to hold onto it, so I'm gonna hold onto it! So sew it in there tight!"

Nami nodded and started sewing the paper into Luffy's hat with a muttered, "Behind the ribbon...got'cha." Danni shifted uncomfortably next to her captain, biting her cheek to refrain from throwing herself at Sanji and strangling the blonde chef. So far, Luffy hadn't even noticed what the girl's were wearing, but Danni had the suspicion that the boy was asexual and completely not interested, unlike certain other perverted members of the crew. She knew she should have gone with the cook when he went to get their clothes to blend in.

Nami handed the hat back to her captain, and the teen plopped it on his head with a large grin, "Thanks, Nami! Now I don't have to worry about it! I'll never lose it."

Usopp looked at his captain with a raised eyebrow, "How do you know that?" The question was ignored, and Vivi came out, holding a pile of neatly folded clothes in her arms.

She smiled and held them out to Luffy, "Wear this, Luffy-san!"

Luffy blinked at her in confusion, "Huh? Why? It's hot!" Danni scowled at the reminder, tugging on the thick rope of braid that was her hair irritably.

Vivi smiled patiently and explained, "You wear it _because_ it's hot. The desert gets over 50 C, so you'll get sunburned if your skin is exposed."

Luffy looked even more confused as he glanced first at Vivi, then at Nami, and then finally Danni, who had her arms crossed in front of herself defensively, showing a lot more skin then the boy had ever seen since he met her. "Why are your clothes so skimpy then?" he asked, a flash of concern crossing his face.

Danni's cheeks flushed in a bright red blush, squirming in place as her captain kept staring at her. Blatantly. It wasn't in a sexualized way at all; he was just genuinely confused at the amount of skin she was showing. Normally, the only skin you saw were her shoulders, arms, neck and face. Everything else was covered by her clothes. "We're going to wear coats, too," Nami explained, staring at Luffy and Danni in amusement, though she wondered why the older woman was so embarrassed.

She looked good in the outfit with her trim waist and large hips. Along with her naturally pale skin, and dark locks, she looked rather exotic in the deep red and purple dancer outfit. The glimpses caught of her legs were striking, especially when you caught a flash of the tattoo on her upper thigh.

Said view was shown clearly when Sanji yelled, eyes bulging, "What!? You're gonna wear those!?" and Danni's face darkened before she lashed out with her leg and slammed it into the perverted cook's stomach.

**Back**

Danni's hand gripped the back of Zoro's jacket before she even realized what she was doing. Her fingers tightened, even when the swordsman turned to her with a questioning look. She shook her head, lips pursed together tightly and brow furrowed deeply. Zoro looked at her with narrowed eyes, before he tugged her forward, unlatching her fingers in the process.

She looked at him in faint confusion, trying to fight the sudden pit in her stomach and the way the world was tilted slightly. "Sleep, woman," Zoro grunted, returning to his lifting of the camel on his sword. "And stop your worrying."

Danni didn't say anything, as she curled around her rifle and slumped against the swordsman's side. She didn't fall asleep though, merely closing her eyes and listening to Usopp's crazy stories he was telling Chopper. Luffy would be fine. He just had to be.

The thought didn't stop the sickening feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach and the sense that something terribly wrong had just happened.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Well, Drum Island is short, as because of the mountain climb, Danni was pretty much out of commission the entire time, but yeah. I decided to split the rest of the Alabasta arc into two chapters (this one and the next one), especially since I'm having a few issues with Danni's fight. Oh well, anyways, there's a link to what Danni looks like in the dancer outfit, so if you want, go check it out!


	8. Chapter 8

**Remain**

Danni couldn't help but stare.

She would take the rather...interesting outfit of the okama to this..._thing_. The woman (Miss Easter, she had introduced herself as) had long florescent blue hair done up in twin ringlets with bright pink bunny ears pinned on top of her head. She was dressed in a jarring shade of yellow, foofy dress, that had an excessive amount of bright, almost neon pink ribbons. Her tights were a mixture of swirling pastel colors (a meager comfort) and her shoes had large, obnoxious bows on top of them.

Danni wanted to cry. She knew she should have remained behind, and let Usopp follow the girl. This was just cruel and unusual torture.

The kicker was the bright pink bunny tail and the bright green basket filled with a bunch of colorful eggs.

She liked birds. She could have fought the swan, but _no_ she had to follow the girl and get stuck with a _rabbit_. They were evil. _Pure evil_. (As opposed to bunnies were as adorable as they were vicious and great cuddle buddies.) Maybe she could turn back and trade.

"Heyy! Don't ignore me!" Miss Easter shrilled, making Danni wince and glare viciously at the other girl. Danni barely had time to leap out of the way when the blue haired girl threw one of the colorfully painted eggs at her. She had been lucky the first time one of those things had been tossed at her and she hit it with her rifle.

She wasn't putting her baby threw that ever again.

An explosion ripped through the spot she had just been, and the force of it pushed against her back and sent her flying further away. Why did she always get the opponents with bombs? Danni whined to herself as she fell into a roll, hiding inside an alley and trying to catch her breath.

**Collide**

Danni panted harshly, cussing under her breath as she ran. "How pathetic, you are," Miss Easter tittered, tapping her foot against the ground and giggling as she bounced up and over Danni, landing right in front of the woman, who skidded to a stop before they could collide. The blue haired girl hummed cheerfully, a smile on her painted face as she swung the basket in her hands idly. "Why do you still fight? Your captain's dead by now," she asked, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling like she was talking about cake.

Danni snarled, anger rising up inside her. "My captain _isn't dead_," she growled, swinging her rifle at the other woman as she lurched forward, hair whipping out behind her. Miss Easter's eyes widened and the basket was knocked out of her hands and into the air as the butt of the rifle slammed into her stomach. Hands clamped around the gun and it was ripped from Danni's hands and thrown up in the air, following the basket full of bombs.

Danni's head shot up to follow her precious rifle and she could only stare with wide eyes as it hit the basket and a series of explosions set off, lighting up the sky like some sort of sick firework. She only had time to see her rifle, charred and smoking, begin to fall before feet were planted in her stomach and she was kicked away and into a building. Danni heard the faint clatter of her rifle hit the ground and coughed harshly as her stomach throbbed viciously. She spat out the glob of blood that came up, and slowly pulled herself out of the rubble she found herself in.

**Weapon**

Danni was officially pissed off. First, the girl _dares_ to say her captain's dead. Then, she _dares_ to toss her rifle up into an explosion. And now, _now_ she was _insulting her crew_. "-and now they're all dead! Where does that leave you? Alone and without a weapon? Completely defenseless," Miss Easter cooed, cheerful smile still in place as it had been since the beginning. Danni was going to wipe that sickening smile off her painted face.

The Gunner straightened, ignoring her throbbing ribs and stomach and the blood dripping down her back from a rather nasty gash (received from a razor sharp boomerang). She was easily taller than the very much petite girl, and looked down her nose at the girl, eyes narrowed and flashing dangerously. "My crew is better than that," she hissed venomously, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and smearing blood all along it. "We _won't die_."

With that said she cracked her knuckles and fell into a stance that spoke of years of usage. She breathed in deeply, rocking her body slightly, and said, "And I'm not defenseless." She lashed out forward, swinging her fist, and Miss Easter leaned back to avoid it, but missed the leg that came up subsequently and hooked around her knees. Her eyes widened as her feet were knocked out from under her, and she hit the ground unable to dodge the next hit that slammed into her knee. There was sickening crack that split the air and she cried out in pain.

**Tide**

The tide had completely turned. With her shattered kneecap, the woman wasn't able to bounce around like she had been, the only reason Danni hadn't been able to hit her, coupled with the flying egg bombs.

Miss Easter scowled and struggled under the body on top of her. Danni had the woman's hands clutched in one hand, while she ripped out the various ribbons of the garish outfit out to tie said hands up with her other one. Danni's hair tie had been snapped and her dark locks were curtaining their heads from view, as she tore a ribbon in half with her teeth.

There was a sharp whistle of slicing wind, and Danni's eyes widened, while Miss Easter grinned gleefully, renewing her struggles. Danni twisted her torso sharply, keeping one hand on the bound wrists of her opponent, and lashed out with her own hand to catch the boomerang heading straight for her. She bit back a scream of pain as the weapon sliced into her hand, tears threatening to spill over and her breath hitching.

Miss Easter was gaping at her, forgetting to struggle as she stared at the older woman stupidly. "Are you stupid!?" she screeched. "That could have taken you hand off!"

Danni snorted, tossing the weapon sharply down next to the blunette's head, cutting off whatever she would have screeched next. "You don't think I know that? Stupid girl," she sneered, before tying the wrists together and slamming her elbow on the girl's temple, knocking her out completely. She clambered off the girl, staggering to her feet and hissing as her hand throbbed painfully, blood splashing to the ground.

Her palm was a mangled mess and she definitely wouldn't be using that hand for a while. Her chest was pain free though which was a relief, since that meant she wasn't going to have an attack anytime soon. But she was bruised, had a nasty gash on her back and another one on her leg, and she was tired. Ignoring it for now, she went to go look for the others after she found her rifle.

They weren't finished quite yet.

**Done**

Danni curled up in the bed in a tight ball, muffling her light coughs with her hands. They were done. No more fighting until they left. She was glad. Vivi saved her country, and everyone was alive. Sighing, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, not seeing the worried eyes of Chopper watching her from another bed.

**Snore**

Danni stayed by Luffy's side the entire time he was asleep, curling up on the floor next to the head of the bed and cleaning her rifle. Zoro was the only one who didn't try to make her leave, even when she stayed there curled up during the night. He merely tucked another blanket around her, when he found there again after he came back in the dead of night.

Sometimes he would join her on the floor and sleep.

Danni appreciated it because then she was surrounded by the familiar snores of her two crewmates, and she could relax knowing they were alive and okay. When Luffy finally woke up, and found Danni curled up next to his bed, fast asleep, despite the early hour, he grinned widely and patted her head, rousing her from her nap. "Danni! I'm hungry!"

The woman blinked at him blearily for a second before she laughed loudly, easily silencing the rest of the crew and guests in the room as they turned to look at her.

**Deceit**

"Oh, if it's like that, then there is nothing I can do," Luffy stated. "It's okay." Danni sat next to Chopper on the stairs, chin in hand and grinning. Luffy laughed, smiling widely and responded to the outraged cries of Zoro, Nami, and Usopp, "Don't worry! She's not as bad as you all think!"

While Chopper and Luffy were occupied by Robin's arms sprouting from the deck of the ship, Danni sat at the table with Usopp and Robin, while the sniper "interrogated" the stowaway turned crewmember. She listened and watched the older woman, taking note that the woman wasn't lying, though she was withholding some information, but it wasn't like everyone knew everyone's entire back story, so.

She was pulled away from her musings by Usopp yelling, and she chuckled quietly, leaning back in her chair. Nami was easily swayed over by jewels (but not really), and Danni shot a glance at Zoro, who was watching from the upper deck with a dark frown. She knew he was thinking that Robin was being deceitful and planning something, but Danni knew that the woman honestly wasn't a bad person. "Robin-san," Danni said, making the woman pause in her motions to get up and go up to the upper deck, no doubt to talk to Zoro. Danni smiled at her and continued, now that she had her attention, "Welcome to the crew." The older woman's eyes widened for the briefest moments, but it was gone before she could really notice it.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: And so, Robin joins the crew! Danni has pretty much explicit trust in Luffy. If he says that Robin isn't bad, then she trusts him. She also has a rather good sense of people's intentions. She's not all knowing, or anything, but she tends to trust her gut when it comes to people. That's one of the reasons she even invited Luffy and Zoro to eat lunch with her after having only just met them.

Anyways, if any of you have questions, drop a review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can, or answer it in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**WARNING: ATTEMPTED RAPE.**

xxx

**Indirect**

"Seems like there are all kinds of people here!" Luffy grinned, holding his hat on his head with one hand to keep it from flying off in the wind.

Zoro grinned, following his captain, "Looks like a fun city to me." Danni hummed cheerfully from her spot in between the two boys, stretching languidly.

"Let's drink some alcohol~, yeah?" the woman cheered, face stretched in a grin. Luffy laughed loudly, while Zoro agreed with the sentiment.

Nami frowned; sweat dripping from her face as she watched her three crewmates off the ship. "It just can't be done," she said flatly. "It's impossible for those three not to cause trouble." Before, Usopp would have stared at her incredulously for including Danni in that sentence, but he had seen firsthand the damage those three could create together.

"Yeah...," the sniper agreed, sweat dropping. "This city has enough trouble brewing already. Absolutely impossible." Chopper blinked in confusion. Wouldn't Danni corral Zoro and Luffy's tendencies to create insanity?

Nami stood up, "In that case, I can't allow them to enter the city!" With that she leapt over the railing, and chased after her three wayward, destructive crewmates.

Chopper turned to Usopp and asked, "Why is Nami going after them? Won't Danni keep them out of trouble?"

Usopp shook his head almost frantically, "No. She makes it worse, whether directly or indirectly. Those three together are a walking natural disaster." Chopper stared. Danni helped with the chaos Luffy and Zoro brought?

**Haze**

"Hmm...So you're the 30 million bounty boy...?" Bellamy asked, a wide grin stretched across his face. "Straw-Hat Luffy."

Danni blinked, leaning back against the bar and taking another swing from the bottle of alcohol in her hand. Luffy stared at the other man, asking, "What is it?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow and said, taking a sip of his own alcohol, "Someone is looking for you, Luffy." Danni snickered, shifting her rifle so that it wasn't leaning against the bar anymore and instead was resting in the crook of her arm and between her legs.

Nami glanced over her shoulder and muttered, "Isn't Bellamy the name of the guy who reserved the hotel?" She kept a wary eye on Danni, whose smile had vanished at the disbelieving mutters of the other pirates in the room about Luffy's bounty.

Luffy paid it no heed though, staring up at Bellamy, who had made his way over so that he stood next to the captain, a grin on his face. "The people I've met today have been huge!" Danni rolled her eyes at this, but sent a narrowed eyed glare at the patrons of the bar, taking another drink of her alcohol.

"Give me a glass of your best wine, and give the kid whatever he wants," Bellamy said, grin still on his face. The bartender raised an eyebrow but nodded and went about doing what was asked. Danni frowned, Bellamy now blocking her sight of her captain. She narrowed her eyes and gripped her rifle with one hand, flipping it so that the butt of the gun now rested on her shoulder.

"Here, let's drink."

Luffy took the drink, smiling widely, "Ah, thanks!" He laughed, lifting the mug up to drink, "You're a good guy after all."

Danni scowled immediately flipping her rifle again when the man raised his hand and slammed it against the back of Luffy's head, smashing him into the bar, and utterly destroying it, sending wood everywhere. She had the muzzle pointed at Bellamy's head instantly, a haze of red overriding her vision, her finger hovering over the trigger. Zoro had his blade out and hovering over the other pirate's neck.

"What are you going to do?" Bellamy jeered, a wicked grin across his face. "Stick boy!"

Zoro glowered darkly and responded, "That question should be for you to answer."

Danni gritted her teeth, her finger twitching towards the trigger, and Nami stuttered out, "Zoro, Danni, wait! We haven't found any information yet!"

"Nami, shut it!" Danni snarled uncharacteristically, finally gaining the attention of Bellamy, who hadn't realized she had been with them and had a gun pointed at him. "Or I will pull this trigger." She glared at Bellamy viciously, rage at the unwarranted attack on her captain nearing its boiling point. Nami flinched back, biting her lip.

Luffy stood up slowly, and Bellamy laughed, ignoring both sword and gun pointed at him, "Hmm? You can still stand?"

**Bleeding**

Bellamy suddenly laughed loudly and Luffy simply stared at him. "I can't believe this. I was gonna test you to see if I'd let you join my crew of the "new era", but you're just a crazy dreamer," Bellamy said, lips stretched into a mocking grin. Danni twitched, her fingers itching to grab her rifle and just blow the stupid man's brains out, but Luffy merely cocked his head to the side and continued to stare at the now ranting pirate.

"Listen up! The pirate's dream era is over! The lost city of gold? The emerald city? The great treasure "One Piece"? The fools who go after their "dream treasure" cannot notice what's too bad in front of them! In this era of the sea, the ones who don't have real strength, are the ones that are killed by their own imaginations! In the end, this is how the people will judge the idiots that died-_This guy lived his dream, very admirable_-Hah! What a joke!"

Luffy continued to just stare at Bellamy, and Danni felt her rage disappear. She swung her rifle over her back and crossed her arms, not even flinching when the scarred pirate smashed a bottle over Luffy's head, yelling, "Whenever I see those idiots who chase their dreams, IT MAKES MY STOMACH CRINGE!" Nami cried out, but Luffy merely stayed on the floor sprawled out, expression never changing.

"It's all because of wimps like you, that we pirates get such a bad rep," Bellamy snarled tossing a glass at Luffy, where it crashed next to the boy's head. The rest of the patrons of the bar began to jeer at the four of them, chucking various tankards of alcohol at them. Danni didn't even flinch when a glass shattered on her shoulder, cutting into her flesh. She ignored the bleeding wound, merely watching her captain.

Sarquiss laughed loudly, face stretched in a blood thirsty smile, "Hah! Hey, Bellamy! The paying customers want to see a show!"

Bellamy grinned widely, sticking his tongue out, "Haha! Piece of cake, I'd be happy to!" Danni wrinkled her nose in disgust at the display, turning her eyes away from the man and looking at her captain instead.

Luffy was sitting up, and Nami said irritably, fists clenched, "Luffy! Zoro! Danni! Forget the promise! Just kick his ass!"

Luffy ignored her, face dead serious as he turned to his two first crewmembers, "Zoro...Danni...whatever you do...," Danni looked at him silently, tapping her fingers against her arm, while Zoro stared, waiting for the order. "Don't fight against them."

**Try Again**

Danni stood up again, readying her rifle up like a bat. She curled her lip at Bellamy and spat, "Try again." Cricket and the other two monkeys were lying on the floor, broken and bleeding. She wasn't much better, but she wasn't about to let the moron who had attacked her captain unprovoked get away with stealing these men's precious items.

Bellamy scowled at her, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "I didn't want to have to use this on someone as pitiful as you but I guess you leave me no choice," he sneered. Danni glowered at him, firming her stance, she wasn't going to go down without a fight. However, before she could attack, something hit the back of her neck and her vision went black.

Bellamy raised an eyebrow at his crewmate, who shrugged, the unconscious woman in his arms, "I want to have some fun with her." This was said with a leer and Bellamy scoffed and waved his hand, turning around and heading back for his ship, his crew stealing the gold treasures and dumping the three men into the ocean.

"I can't find Danni!" Nami shouted, pulling herself out of the water. Cricket coughed, and Luffy was there immediately. "Sorry...," Cricket coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Ah! Mister! Hey, mister, you awake?" Luffy asked, glancing over a Nami briefly to let her know he had her announcement about their missing crewmate.

"Really...sorry...," Cricket coughed again, his breathing ragged. "We tried to...but she...couldn't help! But...there's still time...!"

Luffy frowned, "Wait, mister! You have to tell me what happened! Where's Danni!?"

Cricket slowly sat up, coughing even more, "I don't know where she is. She was probably taken by that man! But, you guys caught a South bird..."

Before he could speak further, Nami rushed out of the house, "Luffy!" The teen turned to her, brow furrowed. "Danni's not here! And neither is the gold!"

Luffy's eyes went cold, and Nami gulped. "Hey, Luffy," Zoro called, lips turned down in a dark frown and thumb pointed at a mark on a tree. "Look."

"It's Bellamy's symbol!" Nami cried out, eyes wide.

Zoro looked at his captain and asked, "Want my help?"

Luffy shook his head, "No. I can do it alone." He then turned to his crew, face serious and rather ominous, "Guys. Stay here and help with the ship. I'm going to get Danni and the gold." He then turned to Robin and asked, "If I run along the beach, I can reach that city we were in, right?"

Robin nodded, "Yes. You can."

Luffy nodded sharply, expression dark, "I will be back before dawn."

**Reap**

"BIG DISCOVERY! That person who was here during the day will soon-Ah!" the pirate cut off abruptly and then exclaimed, "Bellamy! You're still here!?" The pirate caught sight of Danni, who was cuffed and sitting in the man who had knocked her out lap. Her face was completely blank and there was large bruise forming on her cheek. Her shirt had been ripped off and she was left in only her bra, the man's hand resting on one of her breasts.

The pirate who had barged in gaped and then shouted, "You should run away now! You...will get killed! You and you (he pointed at the man who Danni was sitting on) are in the most danger!" The man holding onto Danni, ignored the man, sliding one hand down Danni's side and reaching for her the button of her shorts.

His hand was stopped though, by the proclamation of Luffy's bounty being 100 million and Zoro's being 60 million. Danni barked out a loud laugh, shattering the stunned silence. Everyone stared at her in shock, and she leered at all of them, eyes glittering maliciously, "You all are about to reap what you sowed." Everyone immediately started panicking, especially when the man holding her twisted her around and backhanded her harshly.

Her head snapped to the side, and the two were ignored by everyone as Bellamy made some speech about being afraid of a piece of paper. She slowly turned her head back, a dark glare on her face. He sneered at her and growled, "I never gave you permission to speak, whore."

She spat at him and growled, "Go to hell."

**Settle**

Luffy glared at the surrounding pirates, ready to settle this entire thing. "Give me my Gunner and the gold," he demanded coldly. There was a beat of silence before all of them ran away screaming. Luffy scowled at them and headed for the bar that Bellamy had exited from. When he entered the now mostly deserted bar, he was greeted with a sight that made his blood boil.

Danni was on the ground, struggling violently, but futilely, her hands bound behind her back and her legs pinned by the male body pressed against her. A gag was in her mouth, and she was turning her head away from the man above her, whose hands were roaming all over her body. Luffy roared and leapt at the man, bowling him over easily and punching him repeatedly. "Never. Touch. My. Gunner!" Each word was punctuated with a vicious punch, and it wasn't long before the man was out like a light.

The dark haired teen panted, body tense as he stood and made his way over to Danni, who had managed to prop herself up, looking at him with stunned eyes. Not because of what he had done, but because of what had almost happened to her, if her captain hadn't appeared. Luffy fell to his knees in front of her, frowning and gently untied the gag, before removing the handcuffs. "Danni," he started, but stopped, and instead merely picked her up, found the gold and left back for the ship. Danni simply buried her face in Luffy's neck and clung to him.

**Treat**

Chopper treated Danni's wounds quietly, rubbing the bruise salve on her cheek gently. The woman didn't say anything either, but Chopper wondered what had happened to her exactly. Luffy had been near murderous when he had come back, though he had pushed it away in the excitement of heading for Sky Island. Also, for Danni's benefit, Chopper thought to himself. Danni had relaxed almost immediately after Luffy's excitement.

Sanji had taken one look at Danni's state of _undress_, and had headed straight for the kitchen muttering something about a nice treat for Danni-chan. Zoro's face had gone stone like, and Nami had paled and looked ready to faint. Usopp had started to spin some tale about how he had defeated a group of large, hairy men with only a rubber band and a coin and the use of numerous clowns that had been in town. Robin had vanished into her room upon seeing Danni.

"Danni," Chopper started, getting the woman's attention immediately. "What happened?"

She stared at him for a long moment, before smiling and shaking her head, "Nothing you should hear yet, Doctor Chopper." The reindeer blinked up at her in confusion, and he looked so innocent; Danni didn't want to ruin it by trying to explain the nature of the attack she had experienced. He finished his treatment and reminded her to take her medicine, before they both headed to the deck, just in time for the announcement that they reached the Knock Up Stream.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Yes, Danni almost got raped. Because she was caught by surprise, she wasn't able to escape, and any attempt was met with violence, so she opted to bide her time until one of her crew arrived. The man who tried to rape her thought that Bellamy would win, so while everyone else went out to watch the fight, he thought he would try to get some.

Danni's going to be a bit clingy for a while, but it won't affect her performance on Sky Island, most of the trauma will be pushed away until after the Sky Island adventure, and many Nakama feelings will happen.

The reason for Chopper not realizing exactly what Danni went through is because as a reindeer turned human (mostly), he doesn't know about that side of humans, and it never came up in his studies or learning, so he never learned to look for the signs. He realizes that Danni went through something traumatic, but not what. He also knows it's serious, because of everyone's reactions.

I apologize if this type of thing happening makes Danni seem like a mary sue, that isn't my intention. This also isn't some plot device; in the grand scheme of things, it's a very small happening, and allows the crew to bond on a deeper level. I'm not saying rape is a small thing; it's a very big thing, and a very _bad_ thing.

On a different note, the next chapter is giving me a few issues in writing and Sky Island will possibly be split into two chapters. Unless, you guys would like to just have a longer chapter with the entirety of Sky Island? I'm posting this once I have the first half of the Sky Island arc written, so if you guys would let me know what you'd like, it'd be much appreciated.

Once again, reviews are most welcome, and much appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notice**

Danni noticed the change in the air instantly, struggling to breath with the lack of oxygen in the air. Her chest constricted painfully and she had difficulty moving her body. She pushed herself up in the corner next to the stairs and coughed in her hand, trying to muffle the sound. She pulled her hand away and winced upon seeing the speckles of blood dotting her palm. As much as she hated to admit it, she was useless until she got used to the atmosphere, so she was stuck watching the happenings upon their arrival.

"If we, uhm, don't have any money?" Nami asked tentatively; sweat dropping and holding her hands up.

The old lady didn't even change her expression as she responded, "You can still go up." Usopp cried out in shock, eyes bulging, and Danni frowned, eyeing the woman shrewdly. Hidden by the staircase as she was, she hadn't been in a position to be seen in the picture taken. The picture taking sent alarm bells ringing in her head.

"Also," the old lady started, a somewhat crafty smile tugging her lips. "If you don't want to go up...it's okay too. I'm not a guard, nor am I a soldier. I just want to know your intention." Danni narrowed her eyes. That sounded a bit suspicious. Luffy cheered and announced they were going to Sky Island, even though they didn't have money. "Really? Seven people right?"

No one thought to correct the wrong number, and Danni didn't reveal herself.

**Least**

"God is there?" Luffy exclaimed eyes wide and gaping. "In the place that no one should ever enter?" Danni looked up from where she had been examining a bookshelf and stared at her captain with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! This is 'Godland', and it is ruled by the almighty 'God Enel'!" Conis responded, unsettled by the sudden excited face that Luffy had. Danni wandered over, an amused smile sliding over her face.

Usopp noticed his captain's excited face and grabbed the boy by the shoulders and exclaimed in panic, "Hey, Luffy! Listen to what she said! 'No one should ever enter' means you can't go no matter what! Luffy!?"

Luffy was grinning widely, the sniper's words going in one ear and out the other. "Oh? Really? There's a place no one may go?" Usopp paled at the sparkles that seemed to be emitting from the excited teen. "Yeah...? So nobody should go in no matter what...?"

Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji sweat dropped, collectively thinking, "He's going for sure..."

"Oh my, that sounds like a lot of fun," Danni chuckled as she stopped next to Luffy, her fingers absently curling around the edge of the teen's vest.

Luffy gave her a wide grin, unbothered by the grip, and then turned to the others and said cheerfully, "But even though it's forbidden, God will forgive us, right? He's really nice, right?" He handed Danni a piece of fruit from the table, eating his fish with the other hand and staring at Conis, waiting for a response.

She sweat dropped and replied tentatively, "Ah...but breaking the rule set by God is disrespecting God..."

Luffy blinked, "...Really?" Danni snickered, and the captain shrugged, "Oh well, it doesn't matter."

Danni grinned and muttered, "No, God would be the least of your worries, wouldn't he, Luffy?" The rubber man heard her and gave her a wide grin, eyes sparkling as he wiggled his eyebrows in response. She chuckled lightly, finishing off the fruit that had been handed to her.

**Exception**

"Then, I'll stay with Chopper," Danni said, cupping her cheek and tilting her head slightly. The other's blinked at her and she smiled. "It wouldn't do to leave him defenseless after all. Besides, I can help with repairs."

Zoro gave her a narrowed eyed stare, but in the end shrugged his shoulders and nodded in acceptance. With that him, Nami, and Robin left, vanishing into the forest. Chopper looked up at Danni, frowning slightly when he took in her paler than normal face. "Are you okay, Danni?" he asked, placing a hoof on her knee.

She looked down at him and smiled in reassurance, "I'm okay. It's just taking awhile to adjust to the atmosphere." Chopper nodded reluctantly, deciding not to point out that she was trembling faintly. If she got worse, he'd put his foot down, though, no exceptions.

**Rule**

Danni jolted when she smelled smoke and fire, and stumbled out of bed, grabbing her rifle and a few extra paper cartridges. She knew she was going to risk her rifle firing multiple times, but at the moment she really didn't have a choice. She stumbled up the stairs leading to the deck, falling to the floor on one knee and readying her rifle.

As a rule she didn't do the sniper work with her rifle, she didn't have the skills for it, but right now she didn't have much options. She was taking a gamble by assuming the enemy didn't know she existed, but right now, when her crew's _ship _was burning and Chopper was trying to protect it so hard, she was willing to take that gamble.

She aimed and fired.

**Correct**

Danni's vision was dark and her breathing ragged. She hung limply, suspended in the air by invisible strings. Blood was dripping from her skin from the cuts that had been made from the strings during her original struggle, but the blood loss had taken its toll, and she was barely hanging onto her conscious.

She was hung like some crude version of a crucifix high above the ship, which was now heavily damage, the mast and sail gone, floating in the water. While she had been correct in the assumption that the enemy didn't know of her existence, the surprise hadn't helped much. She hadn't been able to hit the man using fire at all, though she'd managed to prevent him from further damaging the ship, with his fire.

She was vaguely aware that the Knight of the Sky had come to their rescue and she could hear them fighting below her, but she had the fearful sense that it was coming to an end. Through her muddled mind she wondered why she was feeling fear not her own. Chopper suddenly let out a loud scream and there was the sound of blood gushing. Danni struggled to open her eyes, but to no avail, and she gritted her teeth weakly in frustration.

There was a splash and Danni felt a vague sense of panic, disbelief and fear, before a firm determination blew it all away. The Knight of the Sky's pegasus bird thing was crying out in distress, and Shura glared down at them and said coldly, "Take that as Enel-sama's wrath!"

The determination Danni felt solidified and she heard Chopper cry out, "Knight of the Sky!" Following the statement there was a loud splash and Danni felt her own panic well up. Chopper couldn't swim! He'd drown! She forced her eyes open, trying to focus her vision, but it was stubbornly remaining blurry.

"...Hey. Aren't you a zoan-type devil fruit?" Shura questioned, raising an eyebrow as he stared down at the water. He snorted and then flew up behind Pierre, "Hm...You are also a zoan-type. It is quite the hindrance isn't it?" He raised his weapon and said as he brought it down, "Won't you go after your master?"

There was another splash and Danni choked back a pained cry as the strings cut deeper into her skin as she moved. Her vision began to darken at the edges, and she faintly heard Shura sigh, "So boring. Men's weakness is so irritating!" His voice was beginning to fade, but she forced herself to stay awake; she had to save Chopper! His words were muffled before eventually they faded entirely and the strings holding her collapsed.

She had a brief moment of panic before she forced herself to calm down. Her vision cleared and she a moment to collect herself before she reached out and grabbed one of the sails, stalling her fall and she barely managed to avoid completely wrenching her arm out. With the help of the sail she managed to swing down onto the deck, landing on her butt harshly. She let out a muffled curse, before hopping to her feet unsteadily.

Ignoring the way her vision swam, she wobbled over to the side of the boat and leaped off it and into the water.

**Harm**

"Let's put out the fire that we have no use of," Robin said. Danni glanced over at her than at her captain, before smiling slightly. "We will only expose our position to the enemy otherwise."

Luffy shook his head, turning to Usopp and saying, "So stupid..." Robin looked startled, and a bit hurt. "Did you hear that Usopp? She wants to put out the fire!" Danni's smile widened and she glanced at the other woman with amused eyes. The older woman looked completely confused.

Usopp gestured over at Robin, a stern look on his face, "Don't say it like that! Robin has been living a dark life, so she couldn't have known."

Robin furrowed her brow and asked cautiously, "Er? ...What do you mean?"

Both boys fell to ground and shouted, "Lighting a campfire is an obvious thing, yeah? It is only a true virtue to keep the campfire up when you're camping at night!" If anything, Robin looked even more confused and startled.

Nami sweat dropped, and deadpanned, "You guys are so stupid." She placed her hands on her hips and huffed, "That's enough! You know very well how dangerous this forest is, no? (Luffy huffed himself and responded, "No!") There are those priests! Plus, forests are always dangerous at night! There are beast and monsters!"

Chopper shrieked, and Usopp froze in his position, shivering. "Yo, Luffy!" Zoro suddenly called out, catching everyone's attention. He waved his hand over at the large bonfire pile of wood and asked, "How's this for a woodpile?" Sanji was leaning against it with a smirk, and a thumbs up.

"Not you too!?" Nami shrieked.

Sanji held up a lighted stick, smiling all the while, and ignoring the eyes of the beasts behind him in the shadows, "Don't worry, Nami-san, those beasts are afraid of fire!" Nami shrieked, crying and holding her pale face.

Danni threw her head back and laughed loudly, clutching her stomach and wincing in pain, but she couldn't stop. Nami gave her a pitiful look, though there was some relief in the look as well. Danni hadn't really laughed since Mock Town. "There's no real harm in letting them have some fun, is there?" Danni asked, leaning back and laughter dying to stifled snickers.

Luffy gave her a wide smile, giving his signature laugh.

**Grip**

"What should I do? I'm back where we were, but nobody's here," Robin sighed, holding a hand to her cheek. "Did I get lost?"

"I don't think so, since I managed to find it too," Danni answered, rounding one of the trees and hopping over one of the roots. Robin blinked at her, and the younger woman continued as she stopped next to her, "Although, considering the others, they probably got lost."

Robin didn't stop the snicker that escaped at the comment. "Then should we go ahead to the destination and wait for them there?" Robin asked.

Danni shouldered her rifle a bit higher, placing her hands on her hips, and nodded, "Yeah. They'll all make it there eventually. For some reason we all end up in the same place eventually." That being said the two women headed south towards the ruins.

"This was probably a small rural home," Robin murmured thoughtfully, examining the ruin amongst the roots of the trees intently.

Danni looked at it curiously, rifle unstrapped from her back and resting across her shoulders instead, ready for any battle that might happen. Both of them had noted the sudden loss of tranquility of the forest, and Danni just knew that Luffy and Zoro were fighting. "Was it really?" she asked, peering closer at the small ruin.

"Yes. Thankfully, it's not too badly damaged by the forest," Robin answered, before musing, "I wonder how the ruin at the city will hold up..."

Danni shrugged, "By the looks of these ruins, it might not be in too bad of shape." Robin sent her a small smile, before there was a cry that sounded like a goat and a man (she used the term here loosely) crashed on top of the ruin they had just been examining. Danni gripped her rifle and had it pointed at the person, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"Women! This path leads to the God's shrine! You may not continue forward!" he announced, and Danni raised an eyebrow coolly, noting that Robin didn't look to happy at where he was standing. Granted she wasn't happy either. You shouldn't disrespect history like that!

"Please get down from there," Robin asked coldly, eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how valuable that historical remain is?" Danni stayed silent, letting Robin handle the situation how she wanted considering she was the archaeologist, but she kept her rifle trained on the weird man.

The man sneered down at them and snapped, "You are in no position to get angry!"

Robin raised an eyebrow at him coolly and asked, "What are you going to do about it?" She didn't even let the man finish his exclamation of something related to God's order or something, before she choked him with her hands, the other hands holding him down and twisting his limbs. She glared down at him and scoffed, "How ill mannered."

Danni snickered, "Indeed."

**Temperamental**

Danni's head shot up, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. She looked back in the direction she had left Robin to go scout ahead, while the other woman examined the ancient text they had found. She could feel a faint pulse of righteous anger that wasn't her own coming from that direction, as well as a large amount of bloodlust. The gunner scowled heavily and turned back around, slinking through the shadows and roots of the large trees surrounding her.

As she slunk closer to where she had left Robin, she heard a pained cry and then a male voice mocking, "When will you stop protecting a dead city like this?" Danni's eyes flashed as her temper flared when she finally caught sight of Robin and her rather large opponent. Robin was bruised and bleeding, slumped against a pile of rubble, while her opponent loomed over her.

Robin sat up, cringing in pain and asked, "Do you have no respect for history?"

Danni quietly loaded her rifle, tearing the paper cartridge open with her teeth and pouring half of the black powder in the flash pan. She finished the process and placed the butt of the rifle against her shoulder and took aim. She couldn't hit his head from her position, but she could hit his shoulder or leg. If her bullet worked.

"I do not care about the past," the man responded.

Danni couldn't see Robin's face any more from her position, but she knew it was fierce, from the cold reply, "Foolish people always say that." Danni fired and the bullet hit the man's shoulder, blood gushing suddenly from the wound. She didn't let her victory distract her, as she immediately moved to get into a different position. It wasn't smart to stay in one place after you've shot someone.

As she moved she caught eyes with Robin, and understanding passed between them. Danni ignored the roar of pain from the fat man, loading her rifle again as she moved positions. She didn't have time to clean it properly while on the move. She settled into another position, just as Robin stood and began running, the man following after her with an angered roar. Danni aimed and fired again. The bullet missed, and simply grazed the man's face. She cursed silently and began to move again, in the same direction as Robin.

Away from the ruins.

**Divided**

Danni rubbed her forehead, wondering why she suddenly got a terrified feeling before it abruptly ended in pain and she thought of Chopper earlier. Right now she got the feeling that her captain was doing something stupid, and that Zoro was irritated. It made her feel all divided, since her own emotions were confused and worried.

"How are you doing, Robin?" Danni called down, helping move the cloud where she could. She decided to ignore the weird mix of emotions she was getting that weren't her own for now, and focus on helping Robin.

"I think I've found a room," the older woman called back, just as she cut the rest of the cloud away to reveal a drop into another room. Danni grabbed both of their packs and jumped down after Robin, dropping down into the new room. She looked around with curious eyes, trailing after her crewmate, who was talking to herself as she studied the new ruins. It still amazed her that Robin could read the ancient script.

Eventually they reached the end of a hall and Danni gasped loudly, eyes widening at the sight that met them. "Oh my," she breathed.

"...Disappeared for 800 years, the Great City Cyandia...," Robin murmured, sitting down at the edge of the hall. "After all this time, it's still so...magnificent..." Danni nodded in agreement, before she barely had time to react when a spike of sheer rage shot through her. Her eyes widened and she stumbled slightly, taken aback by the intensity.

She knew instinctively that it had come from Zoro, but she didn't know _how_ she knew this.

**Delivery**

"What if we refuse?" Robin asked. Danni glanced at her and then at Enel. She had a bad feeling. Nami gave a shocked cry, whereas Enel gave the archaeologist an odd look.

"Refuse..?" he started, raising one eyebrow. "Why? I've already decided. If you stay here, you will fall into the abyss with this country!"

Robin shrugged and replied, "True...with your power, it's possible. However, if you destroy this country, that thing you want will also fall, won't it?" Danni's eyes widened. That wasn't going to work!

Enel gave her a cool look, "The gold bell?" He then threw his head back and laughed, making Danni wince and tense, edging closer to Robin. "Don't worry! Judging from your earlier adventures, I can only think of one place the bell could be..." Enel trailed off and Robin inhaled sharply, eyes wide. He chuckled, "Looks like you're thinking what I'm thinking..."

He shifted closer to Robin, who was staring at him with shocked eyes, "You seem surprised. Did you think you could trick me and find it yourself?" He glared and pointed a sparking finger at her, "How shallow." Robin froze; her face paling and Nami screamed her name. "I don't like shallow women." Danni reacted on instinct.

The lightning screamed through the air and the gunner barely managed to shove her crewmate out of the way before she was hit. Danni let out a shrill scream, her back arching as the electricity raced through her body and leaving burns behind. It vanished in a flare of light and her chest constricted painfully, her eyes rolling back in her head.

She fell to her knees, blood spilling past her lips and body spasming almost violently. Robin stared from her place on the floor behind Danni, her eyes wide and disbelieving, unable to move. Danni began to fall, but was caught by Zoro, whose face was dark with a feral intensity. "She's a woman," he snarled, glaring at Enel, who merely blinked back at him, looking mildly startled at the twist.

"Yes, I can see that," he responded idly, no remorse in his face, though there was some disappointment at not hitting his intended target.

**Victory**

Danni covered her mouth, hiding her smile and the blood spilling from her mouth. Tears were streaming down her face as the sound of the gold bell rang through the air. "What a wonderful song," she coughed weakly, voice lost underneath the others. "Luffy sure knows how to make a victory count."

She stumbled, making her way over to Zoro, and collapsing down next to him weakly. He glanced over at her, narrowing his eyes at the bloodstains around her mouth and down her chin, and no doubt staining her palms as well. He sighed and muttered, "Foolish woman."

She laughed weakly, resting her head on his shoulder, "Shut up, brat. Like you're any better." Zoro scoffed, but didn't retort. Danni sighed and closed her eyes wearily. She definitely over did it. The strange thing was she didn't feel any worse, as if she hadn't lost any more years.

**Dramatic**

Danni stared at her crew with wide eyes before she looked back at the oncoming crowd carrying something rather huge. "Luffy, wait-," she started when the captain turned to leave. He didn't hear her as the natives began yelling at them to wait as well. She face palmed as Usopp began to yell back at them dramatically about how they were looting. "I don't think-," she started again, but was once again ignored when Luffy cheered the sniper on.

Her eye twitched and (rather childishly, she'll admit) she stomped her foot and yelled, "I said WAIT!" The crew froze, turning to look at her with wide eyes at the uncharacteristic action. She glared at them, hands on her hip, and they suddenly felt like small children about to get scolded. "I don't think they're going to attack us! Robin's with them! We're not in any hurry, so cool your jets! Honestly!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper all nodded their heads weakly, while Nami, Sanji, and Zoro looked away uncomfortably, wondering why they felt guilty all of a sudden. She huffed at them, shaking her head in wry amusement.

Upon finding out that the natives were giving them an entire pillar of gold, all of the crew (especially Nami) was grateful for Danni stopping them from leaving. Although, it took said woman telling Luffy about all the meat he could buy to stop him from rejecting the gift (he was saying something about he wasn't a hero).

**All I Ask**

Danni sighed as she sat down on her bed, towel around her neck as she pulled her hair over her shoulder and began to comb through it. The door opened and she looked up in confusion. Nami closed the door behind her, biting her lip and looking unsure. "Nami?" Danni asked gently, gesturing for the younger girl to come over and sit next to her.

"Uhm," Nami started, playing with the blanket with her fingers. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it or anything, but since things have calmed down a bit I thought that maybe you'd like to, er, talk about it?"

Danni blinked at her in confusion, "What?"

Nami swallowed and looked up through her bangs at the older woman, before saying cautiously, "About your-your...the rape attempt." Danni went rigid and her eyes froze over, the comb stopping in the middle of its run through.

"I don't want to talk about it," Danni managed to get out through gritted teeth.

Nami flinched, before she steeled her nerves, and retorted, "But you'll have to talk about it eventually! You can't keep it bottled away and act as if it didn't happen! You can talk to me, Danni!" The fire died and the navigator whispered, "Please."

Danni looked at her, face unreadable and the younger girl fidgeted as the silence grew longer. Finally, the gunner's face softened and she sighed. "I...I'll _try_," she said slowly.

Nami brightened up in relief, "That's all I ask, Danni." There was a beat of silence and then she offered tentatively, "Do you want me to braid your hair for you?"

The older woman paused at the offer, biting her lip. She hadn't let anyone braid her hair since her mother passed away. Not even her older brother. It had felt wrong, somehow, to have someone that wasn't her mom play with her hair. She looked at Nami, who looked like she was about to take back the offer, and answered, "...Sure."

**Fire**

Danni frowned as she watched her captain get fired up, keeping her arms folded across her chest and her eyes on the Foxy pirates. She knew that Luffy was actually really pissed off, though he was keeping it mostly reigned in. "That is why we, the Foxy Pirates, will challenge the Straw-Hat Pirates to an official Davy Back Fight!" Foxy shouted, and Danni moved before Luffy could respond.

Her face never changing she lashed out her arm and slapped her hand over her captain's face, and pushed him back and down onto the ground. She gave the Foxy Pirates a polite smile, eyes closed as she said pleasantly, "Excuse me." The trio stared at her with wide eyes, shivers going down their backs, though they had no idea why.

"Danni!" Luffy whined, holding his nose as he sat up, pouting at her. She dropped down next to him in a crouch, face serious, making Luffy blink at her with wide eyes.

She pursed her lips and then sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's your decision since you're the captain, but Luffy I want you to listen to me," she started, locking eyes with her captain firmly. "The Davy Back Games is a way to win pirates, Luffy, which means if you lose, you can lose any one of your nakama." She then glared at him darkly and finished, "I only speak for myself, but I'm positive the other's will agree, but I will not accept anyone _but you_ as my captain."

Luffy's eyes widened before his face stretched into a wide grin. "Let's do it, then, Danni!" he cheered. "With our nakama, we can't lose!"

xxx

FOXGEISHA: I'm not going to do the rest of the Davy Back Games, because Danni doesn't participate in them. She's the crew's "cheerleader," so to speak, and quite frankly I just don't want to write them, hahahaha. I'm lazy, sorry.

On a different note, you get to see more of Danni's role on the crew, which is (if you didn't guess) "Mom." Only on occasion though, she's not always mommy, as seen by the fact that she tends not to reign in Luffy most of the time.

Anyways, you get to see a little something of Danni's that doesn't come to light until quite some time, but is important to her character. This skill will appear fairly often as the story goes, and cheers to anyone who can guess what that skill is! I might do something if anyone can guess what it is.

Another note (because I'm not sure if it will pop up later or not), but Danni didn't get any years shaved off her life when she was on Sky Island. The blast she got hit with by Enel, if anything helped a little bit. She didn't gain any time, but she didn't get worse either, despite the fact that she over worked her body.

I think that's it for now, but once again, reviews are much appreciated and if you have any question just drop a word, and I'll try to answer! Next is an admiral and nakama bonding!

A few personal notes: I'm actually moving to another state next week, so I have no idea how often I'll be able to write. I have a class on top of that, but that one's not as time consuming.


	11. Chapter 11

FOXGEISHA: A note before we start (I should have mentioned this earlier), I'm following the manga with this story. I haven't watched the anime at all (quite frankly I don't have the time or patience too), and so it's the manga I follow, obviously with a few of my own little things (and later big things) added.

xxx

**Lies**

Danni was silent and standing in the back of the group the entire time they "talked" with Aokiji. She didn't like him, he made her skin crawl and he was spewing half hidden lies. He wasn't completely lying, but you didn't just _happen_ upon a supreme admiral. So she kept her mouth shut, and herself out of view. It wasn't a good idea to get recognized, considering who her father was.

She wasn't getting her hopes up, though.

"Hmm," Aokiji started, staring a Luffy with an odd intensity that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. "How should I say this? You and your grandfather are really alike, Monkey D. Luffy." Luffy startled and Danni tensed, wishing she could move for her rifle. She didn't like the sudden shift in the admiral's attitude. "Is it open-minded...? Or is it absent-minded...?"

Luffy jerked with a stuttered cry of 'Grandpa?' and Danni felt a flash of sheer terror that wasn't her own. She gritted her teeth and shifted her weight, hands clenching into tight fists. "I dealt with your grandpa a long time ago," Aokiji sighed. "Even though I only came to see Nico Robin..." Danni froze, her face paling when the admiral suddenly looked at them all darkly, "Maybe all of you should just die here now."

**Stormy**

Danni's face was stormy as she gripped her rifle tightly, glaring at the admiral who had just frozen one of her precious nakama. "You bastard!" Luffy screamed, leaping up from his position on the floor, ignoring his now frozen fist.

Aokiji curled his lip and said, "Chill, kid...If you thaw her properly, she'll live. However, her body is very brittle right now. If she breaks apart, she'll die." He raised his fist up and continued lazily, "Like if I were to, oh, let's say, smash her like this..." He moved his fist forward and Danni snapped.

She moved the same time as Luffy did. She left Robin in his care and swung her rifle with all her might. Luffy bent back, clutching Robin tightly, and Danni smashed her gun against the admiral's arm. Amazingly enough it knocked the punch off course, but it had the downfall of Aokiji turning his attention on her fully.

He looked at her with narrowed eyes, and she glared back up at him defiantly, pushing her fear down ruthlessly. "You are...," he trailed off before ignoring her and lifting his foot up, preparing to smash it down on the ice sculpture that was Robin. She swallowed, her heart thudding in her chest, and twisted her rifle, catching his foot in mid-swing and she grunted as she was forced into a squat from the force, but it allowed for Usopp to grab Robin and run back towards Nami.

Aokiji scowled, his eyes flashing and he growled, "And what do you think you're doing?" He pressed his foot down harder and she grunted, arms shaking. Her rifle creaked under the weight, and she knew it couldn't take much more before it would snap. Luffy rolled out from under both of them and stood. Before Danni could react, her captain shoved her out of the way and recieved the full brunt of the kick on his stomach.

Danni looked at him with wide eyes, and he looked at her seriously as he yelled, "Usopp, Chopper, Nami! Get back to the ship! Start thawing Robin!" She stared back at him from her position on the floor, eyes wide. He grunted as he stood, never tearing his gaze away from her. She scrambled to her feet as well, gripping her rifle tightly.

Aokiji frowned, sneering, "For God's sake, don't save a woman like her." Danni's eyes flashed and she swung her rifle at him again, distracting him from attacking her four crewmates. He caught the rifle, glaring at her and she smirked, trying to ignore her thudding heart.

"In case you've forgotten," Danni started, arms trembling as she tried to keep a hold of her weapon. "We're pirates. All of us women are like her."

He glared down at her, "Oh?" He batted her away, hitting her cheek with her rifle in the process and said coldly, "Stand aside, Beckman." Danni grunted as she skidded across the ground, rifle clattering down next to her. Sanji and Zoro immediately made to rush towards the admiral, expressions furious.

"Wait, you two!" Luffy yelled, standing up behind Aokiji. The two stopped, and Danni struggled to her feet, not liking the determined feeling that wasn't her own. "Don't fight him! I want to fight him alone." Danni's eyes widened. Luffy put his fists up, expression determined, "Let's settle this. You and me; mano a mano!"

**Terrible**

"Mano a mano!? Then you left him and came back like that?" Usopp screamed. Danni tensed, still trembling even as she helped Zoro massage his arm back to life.

Sanji frowned, massaging his own leg and replied, "That was the captain's order..." Danni glanced at Usopp sharply when the younger teen took a step forward, fists clenched and trembling.

"So what? You can't just run away! You are too cruel! Or scared?" the sniper shouted, face furious and entire body trembling. Danni stood up at the same time as Sanji yelled at the teen to shut up. Her movement stopped Sanji from getting up and attacking the sniper.

The gunner glared at Usopp furiously, making him step back and flinch. "We are _pirates_," she snarled, stepping towards the trembling teen and forcing him against the ship wall. "The captain's orders are absolute. But that's not the point, Usopp. Luffy called mano a mano. _Mano a mano_. Right now, we are at a critical point, try to _understand_!" She had to stop herself there, fists clenched and entire body trembling.

She inhaled deeply through her nose, closing her eyes and trying to stop herself from attacking the sniper. She opened her eyes, anger still sparking before it cut off suddenly as an overwhelming feeling of frustration washed over her, before it was cut off abruptly.

She stumbled back, face deathly pale as she clutched her chest, eyes wide. Zoro was on his feet immediately and had an arm around her waist, steadying her as she took in gulps of air frantically. "Danni?" he questioned sharply. She shook her head, trying to push away the terrible empty feeling she was getting.

"We need to get Luffy," she stammered, looking up at the swordsman with wide, fearful eyes.

**Hold**

Danni jolted awake, panting and eyes wide. She shivered, rolling onto her other side and curling into a ball. Phantom hands were running down her body and she stifled a sob as she rubbed her arms frantically, trying to escape the pricking feeling. She closed her eyes tightly, but only opened them again when she got flashes of a dark leer and lustful eyes.

Shaking she uncurled from her ball and climbed out of bed silently. She draped her blanket around her shoulders, holding it closed in front of her and headed for the kitchen. Usopp was on early morning watch, but Sanji was usually in the kitchen at this hour prepping for breakfast. She knocked on the door to the kitchen before opening it, peeking around it to see what Sanji was doing. He looked up at her, a bright smile spreading across his face, before it faded when he got a closer look at her.

"Come sit down, Danni-chan," the cook said motioning to the table as he set about preparing to make a cup of tea for the obviously shaken woman. She did so, pulling her knees up to her chest when she sat down in one of the chairs, blanket wrapped around her snugly. "Here," Sanji said quietly, offering her the sweet smelling tea, steam rising from the cup.

She took it gently, simply holding it as she blew on it gently. "Thank you," she muttered softly, not looking up at the blonde, keeping her eyes downcast. Sanji smiled at her, though his eyes shone with worry. He had a pretty good guess on what had her up this early, and he didn't like it one bit. He had to refrain himself from slamming a fist on the counter in anger. How could anyone do such a wretched thing to a woman? _Anyone_ for that matter?

He snarled silently, finishing his prep work for breakfast efficiently, before he slumped into the seat across from Danni, forcing himself to calm down. He took out a cigarette and lit it, the scent of cloves filling the air. The blonde watched Danni quietly, and raised an eyebrow when he noticed that she was starting to relax, inhaling deeply.

He exhaled a lungful of smoke and he was startled when the older woman spoke, "You smoke the same brand as my dad." Sanji gave her a questioning look, asking her silently what she meant by saying that. She gave him a shy smile from around the rim of her cup, taking a sip of the tea before she answered, "It's...nice."

Comforting was the more correct term, but she couldn't bring herself to say that out loud. Instead she relaxed fully, the dredges of her nightmare beginning to fade as she was soothed by the familiar scent of smoke.

Sanji made a note to never change brands.

**Baffling**

Usopp found it baffling whenever Danni sat down next to Chopper and Luffy whenever he began to tell of his "adventures", that weren't true, but fanciful lies. He knew she knew they were lies, but she seemed to genuinely enjoy them, unlike the rest of the crew (not including Chopper and Luffy, who thought the stories were all true). He came to accept it though, and he found himself creating stories in his head to tell Danni.

He didn't always get to tell them once they were made, but he always had one ready just in case. So when one night when he was on shift, Danni came out wrapped in her blanket and pale faced and looking like she had seen a ghost, he immediately had her climb up into the crow's nest with him.

Danni offered the blanket to the younger teen silently, and he thought about refusing, but a cold gust of wind had him huddling against the woman, teeth chattering. She chuckled quietly, though it sounded weaker than usual. Usopp swallowed, wondering what he could do to help her. He wasn't exactly the type of person someone would be willing to talk about traumatic experiences too.

He glanced over at her, biting his lip when he noticed she was staring out at the horizon with blank (almost dead) eyes. Swallowing hard, he whispered, "Did I ever tell you about how I took on a _humongous_..."

He considered it a job done well when life returned to Danni's eyes, and she didn't seem so _dead_ anymore.

**Panic**

"Robin," Danni started quietly, looking over at the woman with her head tilted and eyes contemplating. The older woman hummed to show she was listening, and Danni continued, "Would you mind if I...if I braid your hair?"

Robin looked over her shoulder at the other woman, an eyebrow raised. "I don't mind," she started. "But can I ask why?" Danni flushed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck roughly. Robin chuckled lightly in amusement. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Danni shook her head, loose hair flying around her like a river of ink. "No! It's not that!" she said, waving her hands out in front of her. "It's just-embarrassing slightly, is all..." She took a deep breath, moving to sit behind the older woman and beginning to run a brush through the shorter locks of black hair. "...I'm still a bit panicked from before. (Robin flinched slightly at the reminder, and Danni bit her lip.) My mom, before she died. She always braided my hair when she was feeling out of sorts. She said the motions soothed her."

Danni fell silent, and Robin relaxed slowly at the repetitive motions of the brush gently detangling her hair. "I understand," Robin murmured quietly. Danni smiled and the two spent the rest of the evening like that; quietly enjoying the other's company.

**With You**

Luffy tugged on the end of Danni's braid, getting the distracted woman's attention almost instantly. He grinned at her, continuing to fiddle with the hair (much to her amusement), and asked, "Ne, Danni, I wanna take a nap."

She quirked an eyebrow at him and asked in return, amusement clear on her face, "And what does that have to do with me?"

The younger teen pouted, letting her hair go to cross his arms and slouch over like a sulking child. "I wanna nap with you and Zoro! He's already sleeping!" he whined, uncrossing his arms and tugging on her hands instead, leading her over to where Zoro was indeed sleeping against the ship's wall.

She wasn't given much choice in the matter as Luffy forced her to sit down next to the swordsman, and then plopped down himself and putting his head on her lap. She looked down at him with a raised eyebrow and asked with fond exasperation, "You do know we have pillows, right?"

Luffy pouted, puffing out his cheeks, and exclaiming, "But your lap is more comfy! Now sleep!" As if to prove his claim he snuggled closer and closed his eyes, firmly stating that he wasn't leaving any time soon. She was proved correct when the captain began to snore, body going completely limp.

Snorting quietly, she shook her head and began toying with Luffy's hair. He had taken his hat off so as to not squish it, and was instead holding it against his chest like it was a teddy bear. "You should sleep as well, woman," Zoro's sleepy voice said roughly.

Danni peered up at him in question, and he merely stared back with half lidded eyes. "You aren't sleeping well, right?" the swordsman asked, making her flinch slightly and avert her eyes. He snorted gruffly, closing his eyes and obviously preparing to fall back asleep. There was a period of silence, and so Danni was startled when Zoro spoke again, "We're here for you, Danni." It was muttered so quietly she wasn't entirely sure she had actually heard it or not. Nonetheless she relaxed against the wall and closed her eyes, lulled to sleep by the familiar snores of Luffy and Zoro.

When the rest of the crew found them later that day, they let them be, though Chopper ended up joining them, as well as Usopp, much to the remaining three's amusement (not that Sanji would admit that).

xxx

FOXGEISHA: So, Aokiji knows who Danni's father is! Not sure what'll I do with that, but whatever. Yay, nakama bonding! That's it for now, next is Water 7!

I'm posting this chapter early, even though I don't have the next one fully written, because I feel terrible for the long wait! I just finished moving into my new house, and I have started the next chapter, it's just taking me a while to write, because I haven't fully figured out Danni's role in it and what she changes with her being there.

Please look forward to the next chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this one! Reviews are forever welcomed and appreciated.

Also, another note. There's a small profile for Danni and some pictures I've drawn for her on my profile if you want to check it out! And I did a little side story for Danni about her growing up!


	12. Chapter 12

**Killing**

Danni yawned as she exited her room, heading up to the deck with her rifle over one shoulder and two revolvers and a pistol slung over the other shoulder. In her hands was her gun cleaning kit. Her feet were bare and she was only wearing her shorts and a tank, with a cropped vest over it. She wasn't planning on going anywhere, feeling too tired to keep up with the rest of the crew's antics.

Upon reaching the deck, she felt an unknown presence and had one of the revolvers in hand and pointed at the capped man perched on the ship's railing. "Who are you?" she asked sharply, finger hovering over the trigger and ready to pull for a killing blow.

Zoro was up immediately on that, sword halfway drawn, but the intruder merely held his hands up and answered, "I'm one of the shipwrights. I'm here to examine the ship." Danni narrowed her eyes, but slowly holstered the revolver, Zoro following her lead and eyeing the man shrewdly. She motioned for him to do his things, but kept one sharp eye on him, even as she settled against the railing and began cleaning the guns.

"Hm, this is bad," Kaku (as he had introduced himself as) murmured, finished with his examination. Danni frowned and gave the tall man a sharp look that clearly said 'start talking'. He looked at them seriously and explained, "Your ship can't be fixed. The keel's broken. The ship won't even make it to the next island."

Zoro glared down at the man and asked in disbelief, "Are you serious?"

"I'm a carpenter," Kaku responded, somewhat sharply. "I don't lie." Danni didn't like the man. He made her uncomfortable. His body shape was too similar to her would-be rapist. She shivered and placed a hand on the ship's deck, using it to ground herself. The man left and she frowned staring around at the ship sadly.

Zoro crossed his arms and stared at the head of the ship, murmuring, "Going Merry...You really can't go any further?" Danni bit her lip and returned to cleaning her guns. She couldn't bear the thought of their beloved ship not making it.

**Jump**

Danni stared down at Usopp's broken and bleeding body, face completely devoid of any emotion, though inside was a completely different matter. "Is he still...breathing, Chopper?" Sanji asked quietly, inhaling a lungful of smoke. Danni tilted her head, switching her gaze from her broken nakama and instead staring at the large house a few yards away from where they were.

"He's alive," Chopper answered solemnly. "No problem. He'll be okay, even though he lost consciousness..." The group was silent, and then Danni jumped slightly when her own rage amplified extensively, making her hiss and her hands tightening into fists. She swallowed heavily, body shaking with the intensity of the ferocious anger that was as much her own as it was the men's around her.

"Wait here a little bit, Usopp," Luffy ordered quietly, though there was no way for the unconscious teen could hear him. The captain cracked his knuckles, while Sanji lit a new cigarette, hair shadowing his eyes. Zoro was tying his bandana around his head, and Chopper let out a low, angry growl, hat shadowing his own eyes. Danni rested her rifle across her shoulders and unclipped one of the revolvers attached to her hip. "Let's cause trouble in that house...and then send it flying with a kick!"

Danni sat on top of one of the men, her rifle pointed at his head as she glared down at him. He was blubbering something about how they could repay them, or something like that and she scoffed, nudging the muzzle against his forehead. He froze and his words died in his throat. "It isn't about the money, you moron," she growled lowly. "You nearly _slaughtered_ one of our nakama, you worthless scum."

She thought about letting the bullet in the rifle fly, but decided against it. With great reluctance she flipped the rifle and slammed the butt on the man's head. She sneered down at the now downed man, before turning her attention to the rest of her nakama amongst the burning remains of the Franky House. Zoro and Sanji were discussing what to do (quite civilly, amazingly enough), whereas Luffy was perched on the highest point, and Chopper was attending to Usopp on more depth, preparing him to be moved.

"Okay! I'm done!" Chopper called out. "Come help lift him!"

Sanji nodded, standing and turning to Luffy saying, "We're just wasting time here. Let's go back." Luffy didn't respond. "Nami is alone on the ship, and Robin's nowhere to be found. The ship itself, is breaking down..." Luffy still didn't respond and Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Luffy!"

The teen stood, arms crossed and after another beat of silence said, "The ship..." Sanji made a questioning noise, and Danni stood up from her perch on the downed man. "I've decided...It's time to say goodbye to Going Merry." Danni's heart clenched, but she understood. Merry couldn't sail anymore, and she knew she would hate it if they drowned with the ship. She had the feeling the Going Merry didn't want that either.

**Waste**

Danni pulled her knees up against her, burying her head in them and trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions inside of her. Most of it wasn't her's anymore. Luffy was feeling angry, betrayed, _hurt_, and it was _killing_ her that he was also completely resolved in his decision. She didn't blame him. Not at all. She understood the position of captain better than most of the crew. She was angry at Usopp as a member of the crew, but as a friend she understood.

She knew Luffy had been conflicted, and most likely continue to be even if he stood firm in the position of captain.

On top of that, she could feel the inner turmoil of Usopp's. The grief, pain, betrayal, and most of all, the _denial_. She felt that the denial was more than just about the ship. There was also the feelings of inadequacy and fear. Usopp knew he couldn't win, but he was shoving that down under his pride. Danni didn't know how much more of this she could take.

The other's were a jumbled mix of resentment, worry, and confusion and it only added to the sea she was drowning in. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't even settle down her own feelings and she felt like she was ripping apart at the seams. The woman shivered and curled into herself tighter, keeping the tears at bay ruthlessly, refusing to let them fall.

"Heavy...," Luffy muttered, and Danni flinched slightly, nails digging into the railing she was leaning against next to Zoro. Watching the fight had been painful, but she understood something some of the other's probably didn't want to think about or couldn't even grasp. If this had been any other pirate crew, Usopp would have been dead the moment he questioned the captain's orders.

Zoro didn't look at his captain as he started sharply, "That's what a captain is." Luffy started and Danni glanced over at Zoro, biting the inside of her lip. "Don't hesitate. If you can't be decisive, who can we believe in?" Chopper jumped off the ship and raced towards Usopp, knowing that while he couldn't heal the sniper, that didn't mean he couldn't leave behind medical supplies. "Let's clear the ship," Zoro announced, brow furrowed. "We can't return to this ship ever again."

Danni didn't stop her tears this time. Luffy was crying as well, but he was tilting his hat down so that it shadowed his face and he was biting his lip to stifle the sobs. Chopper didn't even bother hiding his tears, though he refrained from sobbing openly. Sanji moved to stand next to Danni, not looking at her and simply smoking, hoping it helped her at least a little.

_I feel so useless. Like I'm a waste of space. What is it even that I'm here for? I'm a gunner, and I don't even have a dream, not really. I can understand Usopp, but at the same time I can't condone what he did. Luffy's our captain. _My _captain. But I don't know what to do, or how I can help._

_Daddy, am I bad person? _

_Sometimes I remember the time's as a kid when people said I shouldn't exist because my dad's a pirate. Mom always told me that was a lie, but I can't help but wonder. If I can't help my nakama, then what good am I?_

_Should I even exist?_

The last question was scribbled out sloppily, the ink staining the page and smudged by the tears that had dropped onto the paper. Danni stared down at the letter blankly, fingers trembling around the pen in her hand. She couldn't bring herself to tear the letter to shreds and write a new one. One that didn't have so much emotional truth and tear stains.

But it was a part of her life, and she wanted her dad to know what she did. Even if it was painful.

**Passion**

"It's time for everyone to wake up," Zoro started seriously, tapping the end of his sword on the ground. "Robin started out as our enemy, and then we let her on our ship. She wouldn't have left us out of fear after all this time. Before the sun goes down, we need to figure out if that woman is friend, or foe?"

Danni frowned, tapping her fingers on her rifle across her lap. "Not necessarily," she mumbled quietly, brow furrowed in thought as she stared down at her weapon. Luffy looked at her, lips still drawn in a tight line, and silently asked what she meant. She shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably, "Well, there are people stronger than us, aren't there? Maybe she _did_ leave out of fear, but maybe not for _herself_."

Nami looked at her in confusion, and Zoro stared at her with a stony look, though she could tell it wasn't because he didn't think she had a point. "What do you mean?" Nami finally asked. Luffy remained silent, thoughts swirling.

Danni shrugged again, face completely blank now, belying the raging cyclone of emotions inside. "Maybe she's doing this out of fear _for_ _us_," she pointed out quietly. Nami shot her a confused look, Luffy mirroring it with a faint spark of hope. Zoro was silent, determined to be the neutral party and mind. "But, that also might _not_ be the case."

The group fell silent, before Zoro finally spoke again. "Robin...really said that, right, Chopper?" The reindeer nodded with a confirmation. "She said we won't ever meet after _today_. It sounds like she's announcing that she's going to do something to make things worse for us." Danni nodded in agreement, fingers still tapping against her rifle. "The attempt on the mayor's life has already caused this much of an uproar; if someone wants to make matters worse, there's only one way..."

Nami reached the conclusion and was the one to say it out loud, "This time, the successful assassination of the mayor." Danni kept her thoughts to herself. Something just didn't feel right about this whole situation, but maybe that was the fact that the crew felt like it was falling apart at the seams.

"That's the natural thing for us to think," Zoro agreed, before he continued, "But now that we know she's framing us for the crime, this could be viewed as a trap to lead us to the crime scene..." The swordsman honestly didn't like thinking of his crewmate like that. Even though he had had his misgivings about the woman when she joined the crew, she had become nakama. "If we're found at the scene of the crime, then we'll automatically be framed."

Nami frowned and objected passionately, "Wait! You sound like you're already thinking of Robin as the enemy!"

Danni quirked an eyebrow at the navigator and said calmly, "It's a real possibility. Is it the truth? We don't know." Nami looked like she wanted to object again, but Danni only continued to stare the younger girl in the eye.

"I'm just talking about the possibilities," Zoro repeated Danni's point. "I'm not really on either side. Whether to believe it or not..." The swordsman kept his hand on the hilt of his white katana, his thumb pushing the guard up to reveal a sliver of the blade. "If I pick one side and the truth is the opposite, the instant in which I make my move, I'll be slowed down."

Danni silently agreed, and said, voice completely devoid of emotion, "If something's going to happen, it will happen tonight."

Zoro turned to Luffy, who had remained silent since his initial outburst at Chopper's message, and asked, "Do we go to the crime scene?"

There was a beat of silence, before the young captain's expression turned fierce and he pushed his hat down firmly on his head, and ordered, "**We go**."

**Flying**

Danni noticed immediately that Luffy was planning on flying over, and latched onto him before she could even register what the consequences were of that move. The gunner didn't even have time to warn the others they were going before the wind caught the two and they were flying through the air. Luffy looked down when something tightened around his waist, and jerked when he realized he had an extra passenger. "Danni!" he cried out in shock, the wind slamming into them and causing them to go crashing into the side of a building.

The captain shifted them so he hit the wall first, cushioning Danni, though the force of the crash broke the wall, sending shrapnel everywhere. Danni grunted, eyes screwed shut as dust was sent up in the air, making her cough harshly. Luffy scrambled up, maneuvering them so that he was holding Danni by the waist next to him, looking down at her in concern. "Danni, are you okay?" he asked, holding onto the wall with his other hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine, captain," she wheezed, clutching onto the teen with one hand, while the other covered her mouth as she coughed. "Geez, think before you leap! If I hadn't been with you, would have hit the crevice right there!" And there was one right there next to them, extremely narrow and tight, even for a person made of rubber. Luffy blinked at her owlishly, and she sighed, shaking her head, "Nevermind."

Luffy grinned and tightened his hold on his gunner, before shouting with glee, "Let's go find Robin!" Danni's scream was lost to the wind when they were suddenly launched straight for the mansion Luffy had been originally aiming for. With the added weight of another person, the landing that would have normally left Luffy stuck in the wall, made another huge crash that sent debris everywhere and the two pirates stumbling as they landed.

Danni sat dazed on the ground, knuckles white from the force of her grip on Luffy's vest, who looked up and stared at the scene in front of them. Paulie stared and coughed, "Straw-hat...!" Danni blinked shaking her head as she stood, before Luffy jumped up and forced her up way to quickly for her.

Luffy stared at the bleeding shipwright and exclaimed in shock, "Ah! You're the guy with ropes! What happened? Are you okay!? You're bleeding!"

The gunner stared at the three figures in front of them unblinkingly, not liking the feeling the masked men gave her. "...This is the third floor...," Paulie groaned. "I should be asking if you're okay..." Danni felt a shiver crawl down her spine when the man with the skull mask turned to look at her with sharp eyes.

"Straw-Hat Luffy and...Beckman," the masked man said slowly.

The man with the bull-mask next to him then asked, cocking his head to the side, "Did you come here to take the blame for us?" Luffy finally took note of the masked men and glared when the implications of their appearance clicked in his head.

"You! You've been telling Robin to do something, haven't you!? GIVE ROBIN BACK, YOU BASTARDS!" Luffy shouted, fists clenched, even as he shifted in front of Danni slightly, aware of her sudden tense state.

The skull-mask didn't answer before after a beat of silence he flew at Luffy with a muttered, "Rankyaku." Luffy cleared the kick with a jump, eyes wide as he saw the damage to the wall from the single kick. Danni ducked out of the way, eyes wide and grabbing one of the revolvers clipped to her hip. She aimed the gun at the bull-mask, but wasn't quick enough.

The bull-mask hooked his leg and slammed his foot on Luffy's neck, locking him against the ground with horse-shoe like contraptions. Danni fired a bullet, but the man easily dodged, heading straight for her. She froze, fear coiling tight in her stomach as the bull-mask rushed her, too quick for her to react. She was slammed into the ground with a hand around her neck, before she was pinned to the floor exactly like her captain, her gun kicked off to the side.

The man loomed over her and she was completely defenseless, her rifle digging uncomfortably in her back unlike the usual steady and comforting weight. A muffled whimper left her throat before she could stop it, phantom touches skimming all over her body and she shook, straining against her bonds. The bull-mask didn't so much as bat an eyelash, "It's an emergency. We don't have time to play around with you."

**Body  
**

Luffy gripped Danni's arm, stopping her from continuing out of the room they'd been trapped in, Paulie waiting for them at the door, instinctively knowing he wasn't privy to whatever they were going to talk about. The pirate captain looked at his gunner in the eye seriously before he said in a low tone, "You are _safe_ now, Danni. I will _never_ let anything like that happen to you again. Do you understand?"

Danni swallowed and nodded tightly. Luffy frowned, narrowing his eyes before saying, "Your body is _yours_ and no one else's." With that he let go of her arm and they were off down the hall. Danni felt something ease inside of her at her captain's words, and firmed herself. She would never let herself become helpless like that again.

Luffy crashed through a door, and Danni skidded to a stop, nearly crashing into Paulie, who called out in exasperation, "Moron! It's not that room! It's the next one!"

Luffy looked back at him in shock, "It's the next one?" He then turned his head to the wall separating the rooms, cocking his head to the side. Danni's eyes widened before she let a grin split her face. Oh yes. Enter with style.

She quickly headed over to her captain, Paulie following behind in confusion. Luffy shot her a wide grin, before it melted into a determined anger and he rushed at the wall. The wall groaned at the weight for a minute and then buckled under the captain, who smashed through, shouting, "WHERE'S ROBIN!?"

At the same time, Zoro cut through the door, and cried out in shock, "Luffy?" Robin said her captain's name as well, but it was under her breath and shocked.

Lucci glared at the groups, growling, "A hindrance."

Danni smirked at the room, and swung her rifle across her shoulders. "Nah, I'd say it's a party," she drawled, eyes flashing dangerously.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Okay, so I was originally planning on just having one chapter be the entire Water 7 arc, except that it's turning out to be a lot longer than I anticipated, and very much annoying to write. I'm having a few issues with Danni's role in this, and I don't really have anyone to bounce ideas off of (sigh). I can't decide on whether or not to create another CP9 agent for Danni to fight, or if she helps in one of the other battles.

But anyways. I have the next chapter mostly typed up and done, and I haven't even gotten to the main battles yet! There's just a lot of things that happen in Water 7 and with Danni there, it's just a whole jubilee of things happening.

On another note, Danni's letters. There a bit like a diary for her, but at the same time letters for her dad. She wants him to know all about her life and adventures, even if it's just them being written on paper, and he'll never see them. On the contents of the letter in this chapter, while Danni's childhood was relatively tame, the village is very much against pirates, so the fact that she was the daughter of one put many of them at odds with her. Not to the intensity of Robin's or Ace's experiences, but still enough to leave some scars.

Danni's a very empathetic person, and with her Observation Haki, it's even more amplified, though only towards her crew. So Usopp's estrangement hits her very hard. On a completely different note, Luffy does actually know who Danni's dad is. He's known since Syrup Village. The rest of the crew doesn't know, not because she didn't want tell them, but because it just never came up.

If anyone has any questions, just drop me a line and I'll try to answer as best I can! Reviews are welcome and very much appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13

**Sword**

"...I thought," Paulie started, tears welling up in his eyes. "I REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!"

Lucci stared down at the shipwright, raising one of his clawed hands, which glinted like a sword in the flames, and responded blandly, "Only you thought that." Luffy snarled, eyes flashing with a dark rage as he swung his fist, slamming it into the zoan user's face with a roar. Danni's eyes widened when the hit landed and rushed over, being the closest of the group to Luffy.

"Straw-Hat!" Paulie called out in panic. Luffy looked confused before his eyes widened as he realized Lucci was suddenly much closer and about to shove a clawed finger through his stomach. He had no time to react. Danni pushed herself to go faster and stretched her arms out and shoved Luffy to the side. Blood splashed to the floor and a blood curdling scream split the air.

"DANNI!" Zoro and Luffy roared in unison, eyes wide as they stared at the woman whose side was drenched in blood from the hole now decorating her body. Lucci pulled his finger out, gripping the gunner's head with his other hand as he did so. He licked the blood coating his finger nonchalantly and said flatly, "What a nuisance." Danni coughed, blood dripping from her mouth as she hung from the fruit user's hand limply.

Without any care, Lucci flung the woman out one of the windows with great force, sending her flying through the air. Luffy let out a wordless howl and rushed at the CP9 agent, fist cocked back. Except, he was soon sent flying through a wall and caught by the wind as well. Zoro soon followed.

Danni jolted awake as a sharp jolt of pure _grief_ shot through her. She jolted up, and immediately regretted it as her wound throbbed and blood gushed out of it. She hissed, pressing a hand against the hole, ignoring the blood now staining the pale skin dark red. Looking around in confusion, the pirate slowly stumbled to her feet, whimpering when the move pulled at her wound.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed past the pain and straightened her back, carefully pulling off her shirt, leaving her in only her tank top. With trembling fingers she tore the shirt and wrapped it around her wound tightly in a makeshift bandage. Finished with that she peered closer at her surroundings to try and find out where she had landed. "Damn that bastard," she hissed under her breath, glaring at the house she had smashed in to.

She coughed lightly into her hand, and, making sure her rifle was safe and undamaged, she carefully began to climb over the rubble surrounding her and towards the hole above her. She had a sense of urgency and she wasn't going to let a hole stop her from getting back to her nakama.

**Skill**

"Do you still plan to wage war in the center of the world government!?" Paulie shouted fiercely. Danni rubbed the back of her neck, trying to ignore the rain drenching them all and the wild winds above them. She was getting irritated by the delays in rescuing their nakama. Apparently Luffy was too.

The young captain took a step forward, fist at the ready and shouted back at the shipwrights, "In that case, we'll take the ship by force!" As if agreeing with the pirate, a large wave crashed against the bridge, sending water all over them and the wind howled. "We're leaving now!" Luffy's expression was furious and almost savage in its intensity as he yelled, "Our friend's are waiting for us! Don't get in our way!"

Paulie scowled and readied his rope, responding, "Fine. Then you'll have to get through me first." Danni's lips pulled back in a soundless snarl and her grip on her rifle tightened. Zoro's face was blank but no less foreboding as he started to draw his sword. Even Chopper and Nami were preparing to fight, expressions grim.

"Hold it right there!" Kokoro yelled, easily stopping the battle as everyone turned to her in confusion. "Paulie is right. You're not thinking straight, Straw Hats."

Luffy glared at her and growled, "You're annoying! It's not like you know-"

He was cut off by the old woman, who said sharply, "You think I don't know? Hear me out first." Her lips were still stretched in that almost perpetual grin, and Danni grimaced, shifting closer to Luffy who was getting more and more angry at all of the interruptions. "If we let you go like this, you'll just end up dead in a flash. Listen carefully, if there's anything that can survive this unprecedented Aqua Laguna, it's the sea train made by the man in the legend."

Luffy snarled and snapped, "Yeah, but we can't do anything about that here, so we have to use a ship!"

Kokoro turned her back on them and started, "If you're determined to put our lives on the line for this..." She glanced over her shoulder, grin stretched even wider, "Then follow me. I'll start the sea train for you."

Danni let a grin split her face. Their crew had the greatest luck on the face of the planet; it just had to be a skill of some sort.

**Compact**

Luffy stretched, touching his hands to the ground, with one foot in the air, while Zoro ordered the Franky Family members to keep firing. Danni ignored them all as she ripped open a package with her teeth. She poured the red powder into the muzzle, followed by a shiny black bullet. She shoved it down with the ramrod, before she primed the flash pan.

Once finished with that she stood and shouldered her rifle. Luffy had his hands planted on his hips as he asked, "What's three times 108?"

"324," Zoro answered promptly.

Luffy pouted, "What? But that's so hard to pronounce..." Danni snorted, a small smile curling her lips. Zoro sighed in exasperation and told the captain to just change it then. The gunner cocked her gun, aiming at the rapidly approaching wave, and Luffy began to swing his arm around. "Then 400."

"Fine," both Zoro and Danni responded. Ignoring the cover fire at their backs, all three of them readied their attacks.

"_Gomu Gomu_..."

"_Four Hundred Bond_..."

"_Compact Outbreak_..."

Luffy let his fists fly, Zoro let loose his slashes and Danni's bullet had a red glare surrounding it as it flew through the air. "_Siege Crash Cannon_!" The bullet exploded the moment it touched the wave, and the force of the combined attacks created a large hole through the entirety of the wave, allowing for the train to roar through.

"Ne, Danni, what was that attack?" Luffy asked curiously as they headed back for the window to let them back inside the train. "I don't think I've seen it before."

The gunner shrugged, "Because you haven't. I only just finished the powder." She didn't elaborate on what the powder did or the strange bullet she used, and Luffy didn't ask. The trio entered the train, and was met with Nami who held out a Den Den Mushi and told them it was Sanji. Danni stayed silent through the exchange, cleaning her rifle.

She shifted in her spot, grimacing when her tank rubbed against her wound and clung to her skin uncomfortably. A pile of neatly folded clothing was held out to her, and Nami said, "Here Danni, I picked these up for you."

Danni smiled, "Thanks. My bandages need to be changed as well." Nami grimaced at the reminder, before she began to change her own clothes, ignoring the fact that the train was pretty much filled with men. Danni didn't think much of it either. She'd gotten a lot more comfortable showing skin since Alabasta, and really didn't think about it anymore.

She gingerly peeled her tank top off, wincing as the movement pulled at her wound. Chopper was next to her in an instance, unraveling the soaked bandages and checking the hole. Thankfully, Lucci's claw hadn't pierced all the way through, though it had torn a good amount of skin and muscles, it had missed anything vital. "I'm going to stitch it closed, Danni," Chopper said, prepping the needle and thread to do so. "The swelling's gone down enough for me to do it now."

Danni clenched her teeth as the reindeer began to stitch the wound closed, refusing to cry out. She'd had worse pains. After a few agonizing minutes, Chopper pulled away and began to wrap her torso in clean bandages once more. "There. Done," the doctor announced, smiling.

"Thanks, Chopper," Danni said, smiling back before standing and carefully wiggling out of her soaked shorts and tights. Nami noticed she was changing and stood in front of her so she could change her under things quickly. Once the older woman was semi-decently covered Nami moved back away, handing over a black tube top that would cover her torso completely.

Danni made a face at that and Nami grimaced, apologizing, "Sorry, it was the first thing I grabbed. I couldn't get any tights either." Danni shook her head, disregarding the apology and telling her it wasn't her fault. With Nami's help, the gunner got the shirt on without tearing her wound back open, and then the overalls, that were black and had shorts instead of pants. Slipping on the heels identical to one's the younger girl was wearing, Danni straightened and swung her rifle over her shoulder, the weight on her back was more comforting.

Nami grinned, tapping her climatact on the grin and announcing, "Okay! Ready for battle!" Danni smirked as she stuffed various colored paper cartridges in the pockets of the overalls. Nami then noticed that Paulie, the other shipwrights, and members of the Franky Family were red faced and a few had nosebleeds. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"

Danni looked at them with a raised eyebrow as well, silently asking the same question. "You changed in here without a moment's notice! You scandalous women!" Paulie shouted, face red and fist clenched. The other men were holding their noses and holding up a thumbs up, muttering, 'Nice scandal.'

Nami shrugged, "It couldn't be helped. There's only one car after all."

"What? You didn't enjoy the view?" Danni snickered. Her comment left the embarrassed shipwright gaping like a fish and cheeks flushed a bright red.

**Dark**

"Yeah!" Luffy said firmly. "I got it!" Danni glanced at her captain and sighed silently. He got it, sure, but she just knew he wasn't going to follow the plan. She glanced at the rest of her crew and nearly sighed again. They really should know by now that Luffy never follows plans. The gunner moved so she was next to Luffy and wrapped her arm around his.

He looked at her in confusion, and she merely cocked an eyebrow back, eyes daring him to tell her no. He grinned and nodded, telling her that he'd take her with him. Luffy barely stayed to listen to the explanation of Enies Lobby, before he took his gunner out of the train and jumped for the black gate in front of them. Danni held on tightly as they flew through the air and landed on one of the buildings bearing a flag.

Luffy stared at the view with wide eyes and exclaimed, "Ehh? What's this? What a big hole! The island's floating in mid-air!" Danni stared with wide eyes and was dragging away from said staring by shots being fired at them.

"We've got company, Luffy," she stated blandly, dodging a stray bullet. Luffy merely laughed and launched them over the gate, careful of her wound despite the reckless jump. The moment they landed they were attacked, and Danni was a whirl of dark hair and flashing bullets, as she and Luffy battered their way through towards the next closed gate.

Their landing was right in the middle of a circle of sneering men. "Hey, Straw-Hat Luffy, woman," one of the men called out. "Where's the rest of your army?" Laughter run through the air, but neither Luffy nor Danni was amused. "Enies Lobby's forces number in the ten thousands!"  
"Yeah, so?" Luffy scoffed, pounding a fist in his hand. "You're in our way. Get out of it." He glared at them, his straw hat shadowing his face.

Danni sneered at the group, and snapped, "And for the record? My name isn't _woman_, its Danni _Beckman_." She hadn't realized scaring people like that would be so much fun. Their shocked faces would be a treasured memory.

**Shadows**

Danni hid in the shadows, frowning down at her side, but keeping one eye on the battle between Luffy and that cow guy. Luffy hadn't allowed her to even think about joining in and she would respect that. She had managed to hide herself without getting the cow guy's attention, and she hoped to keep it that way.

Closing her eyes, she sunk to the floor tiredly, rubbing her eyes. Somehow, she hadn't managed to tear her wound from Lucci open, but she had gained quite a few cuts and bruises. She could also tell that she was reaching her limit. She started to clean her rifle and pistol, prepping them for whenever she would have to fight next.

"Oh? What do we have here?" a bland voice questioned, tone completely disinterested despite the question. Danni jolted, automatically pointing her revolver at the owner of the voice. The man was tall and thin with messy, white hair pulled back into a long ponytail. His eyes were an empty red, and his skin was practically snow white, standing out in stark contrast to the black clothing he was dressed in. "A mouse in hiding?"

She shot, but he casually dodged the bullet and she took the moment to stand on her feet, easily stowing away her cleaning supplies. She eyed him warily, readying her gun for another shot and saying, "Not really."

The man cocked his head to the side, expression never changing, "Pity. I like mice." She licked her lips, trying to ignore the aura that was practically oozing from the albino. He blinked at her slowly, and studied her, "Hmm. Uses guns. Must be a long range fighter; weak in hand to hand. How boring." Danni felt her eyebrow twitch. Why was it that everyone assumed she either never shot, or couldn't do short range!?

She barely ducked in time as a kick was aimed at her and the compressed air sliced through the wall she'd been leaning against. She rolled across the floor, pulling her rifle off her back as she did so, ending the roll with her on one knee and gun settled on her shoulder. She tore a black paper cartridge open, bending back to avoid another kick that nearly took her head off.

Not even waiting for her opponent to retract his leg, she threw the cartridge in the air and spun her rifle so that the butt of it slammed into the albino's knee. Then flipping it again she shot the paper cartridge that was fluttering down, spilling a shiny black powder. The bullet ripped through the paper and the powder exploded everywhere. The albino's face didn't change as he jumped back, knee completely undamaged, looking at her with his head cocked to the side.

"What'd you do that for?" he asked, voice holding no actual curiosity. She merely quirked an eyebrow at him and didn't answer. He shrugged and flew towards her again, his fingernails growing in length and sharpness as he did so. Her eyes widened and she leapt to the side, but she wasn't quiet fast enough and the nails caught her bare arm and blood flew through the air.

Danni let out a muffled curse spinning on her foot and lashing out with her other leg. "_Tekkai_," the pale haired man said blandly, not moving an inch. Her leg smashed into his side, but he didn't budge an inch and she winced as pain laced up her leg. Scowling, the gunner moved to skip a few steps back, but her opponent gripped her leg with spidery fingers.

Her eyes widened, and she had no time to react before she was lifted into the air and swung around. Fingers let go of her leg and she smashed into the wall, the cement cracking and shattering from the force. She didn't have any time to recover from the crash before a foot was implanted in her stomach, just barely missing her wound. She wheezed, coughing harshly and unable to block the fist that slammed into chest. Her bones creaked at the abuse and she gritted her teeth harshly. She tried to keep track of her opponent, but she could barely see him and thus had no chance to block the blow that snapped her head back and into the cement.

Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and she had _enough_. Her eyes snapped open (having closed at the force of the last blow) and she dodged the incoming dagger like nails that would've pierced her through the chest had she not. Luffy was getting close to done with his fight. Danni felt rather calm actually; _focused_.

Her opponent blinked at her mildly and then said flatly, "_Soru_."

He disappeared and she knew he was going to come in from the right with his nails. She moved her rifle, blocking the blow that sent her skidded back slightly. The albino's eyes widened just the slightest bit as he stared at her, and it cost him. The muzzle of one of her pistols pushed against his stomach and she pulled the trigger, saying, "_Compact Outbreak Crash_." A red glow shined from the pistol as the black bullet flew from the gun and forced its way against the albino's stomach. He had apparently just managed to use _Tekkai_ in time, but the force of the glowing bullet sent him flying back to where the exploded black cartridge had sent its powder everywhere.

He skidded across the ground, the bullet sparking as it kept drilling against the armor. The sparks landed on the shiny powder and without any warning it solidified and exploded from the ground, bending over and around the albino, successfully trapping him. The glowing bullet lost its momentum and clattered to the ground. Danni scoffed, breathing heavily as she wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand, "Damn, they wasted a bunch of our time."

**Powerless**

"Robin! Is death really what you want?" Luffy shouted. Danni stood next to him, holding her rifle across her shoulders and staring at her fellow nakama across the way shrewdly. She was getting the feeling of being powerless and terror _for them_. A small frown tugged the corners of her lips and she huffed silently. Why couldn't their nakama just trust in each other?

A strange laughter was coming from the building across from them and Danni had to strain her ears to hear the slimy voice, "Listen to his grievous scream! I wonder what the look on his face is while saying that...!"

Danni glanced over at her captain and fought the urge to face palm. Luffy was picking his nose with his pinky, as he shouted, "What the hell are you talking about, you!" There was startled scream from the sleazy voice and Danni felt Robin's shock and confusion easily. There was a rumble from behind them, but she ignored it as Luffy continued to yell.

"Listen, Robin! We've come all the way here!" The ground behind them exploded, sending Nami and Chopper flying, before Nami landed safely, whereas Chopper landed on his head. "So we're gonna rescue you anyways! And if you still want to die...THEN DIE AFTERWARDS!"

Zoro pulled himself out of the hole, sighing nonchalantly, "This is what I should've done to climb up from the start." Chopper whined clutching his head as he slowly got up.

Nami, on the other hand, stomped her foot and shrieked, "I knew it was you! We're only alive because we took an indirect hit! If we'd been hit directly, we'd be dead by now!"

Another explosion sounded as Sanji kicked his way through the roof, and Zoro ignored Nami looking over at the explosion in confusion as he said, "Ah? What's going on?"

Danni blinked slowly, not even bothering to look behind her as Sanji and Zoro began fighting and then Usopp (why was he wearing a mask again?) was flying through the air towards them. "Well," she muttered to herself. "At least our crew knows how to make an entrance." Luffy snickered next to her, pinky thankfully no longer in his nose.

The captain then turned serious as he returned his attention to Robin, and shouted, "I beg of you, Robin! I don't care what you want, whether you choose to live or die! But whatever you decide...SAY IT WHILE YOU'RE WITH US!" By now, everyone was standing on the roof, faces serious as Luffy shouted in determination, "Now, leave everything to us!"

**Heart**

Danni's eyes flashed and her lips curled up in disgust. "He is the scum of the earth," she hissed, tightening her grip around her rifle and wishing she could just smash it into Spandam's face. Repeatedly. She could feel Robin's pain acutely and it nearly shattered her heart.

"If you commence the Buster Call right now," Robin panted. "Enies Lobby will be destroyed...along with all of us with it!"

"That's insane! Our own people won't be killed! Quit your mindless babbling!" Spandam yelled, annoyance prevalent. Danni sneered, knuckles white from the force of her grip around her rifle, while her other hand reached out and curled around the bottom of Luffy's vest as a grounding from Robin's turbulent emotions.

Robin stared at him in disbelief as she said, "20 years ago...The Buster Call took everything away from me. It ruined the lives of so many people. Just one attack." There was a beat of silence and then she continued in a heart wrenching voice, "And now that very attack is being targeted at my true friends; the only ones I've placed faith in."

There was the barest sound of a hitch in breath before the normally collected woman, shouted, "The longer I stay with them, the more I betray and endanger them! No matter where I go in this world, I will always have enemies destined to destroy me! Only because my enemies are the "world" and it's "darkness"!"

Danni suddenly understood now, just who Robin's enemy was. She glanced at Luffy, whose face was still set in its fierce determination, and knew he had figured it out as well. "First, it was Aokiji, and now it's this! I have trapped you within danger twice!" Robin screamed, her heart crying out and Danni felt like crying herself. "Even though you're all so kind... If this keeps up, then you will only see me as a burden to uphold forever! You will eventually betray and abandon me! It's inevitable, and that's what I'm most afraid of! That's why I didn't want any of you to rescue me!"

Danni felt her eyebrow twitch, and even though she knew where Robin was coming from, would it kill her to have a little to trust in her nakama? "If I ever want to die, then I'll wish for it to be right here and now!"

Zoro sighed, "So that's why."

Spandam let out a slimy laugh as he shouted, holding his arms out, "I realize it now seems to make sense!" He turned to Robin, still laughing wildly, "Yeah, that's why! It's so stupid for anyone to lug you around all the time!" Danni snarled lowly, hands itching to just shoot the man in the face and be done with his stupidity.

Spandam pointed up at the flag that was fluttering in the wind and shouted, "Take a look at that flag, pirates! It bears a symbol representing the pact between 170 nations! It spans over the four blue seas and the entire grand line! It is the WORLD! Do you realize what small-fries you really are!? You have no idea how great the federation this woman is being trailed by!"

Luffy's face didn't change, "I know who Robin's enemies are. Sogeking." Usopp hummed back in question and Luffy answered, "I want you to burn that flag down."

"Roger," Usopp responded immediately. Danni ignored the dramatic teen's explanation of his new weapon, keeping her eyes focused on Robin, even when a streak of flames flew through the air, taking the form of a large bird and burning the World Government's flag to ashes. Robin looked at them with wide eyes and disbelief coursing through her. Danni could also sense a flicker of hope deep, deep down inside of the older woman.

There multiple shouts of disbelief, but the one that stood out the most was the collective shout of, "The pirates have now waged war against the World Government!"

Spandam sputtered in shock and fear as he yelled in panic, "You all are crazy! Do you really think you have a chance against the entire world!?"

Luffy's expression was fierce and close to feral as he clenched his fists and threw his head back and yelled, "YEAH!" Spandam stumbled back in shock, and Robin had tears starting to drip down her face. Danni let a smile curl her lips. The show was about to start. "Robin! I haven't heard you say it yet!" Robin looked down at him in bafflement and confusion. "SAY YOU WANNA LIVE!"

Danni nearly slipped at the sudden tidal wave of emotions. The bafflement. The confusion. The hurt of past pains that had never truly faded. Then the seed of hope buried under the shadows of grief and pain fluttered and bloomed. Robin had tears and snot streaming down her fast as she screamed with so much emotion it made Danni start to tear up, "I WANNA LIVE! TAKE ME WITH YOU TO THE BLUE SEAS!"

Danni let a feral grin spread across her face as the drawbridge started to lower itself. Luffy pounded his fists together, his own wide smile threatening to split his face in half as he howled, "HERE WE COME!" Let the show begin!

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Here's the second-half of Water 7! Only one more chapter to go for this arc! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and Danni's new weapon developments! C:

Question for you guys, though. Is anyone interested in the idea of me posting a bunch of random snippets of Aus and/or pairings with Danni? It'd include things like what if Danni was a boy, or joined the Red Hair crew, or the Whitebeard crew, or even the Marines, and pairings like Danni/Zoro or Luffy/Danni/Zoro, etc. I would probably take requests and/or suggestions if I did do this. So, opinions?

Depending on the response I get, I'll either make it a separate story, or add one snippet a chapter at the end after my author notes.

Reviews are very much appreciated, and if you have any questions, just drop a line and I'll try my best to answer it!


	14. Chapter 14

**Muzzle**

"Would you stop saying nope with each door you open?" Danni grumbled, rubbing her nose in irritation. It hadn't stopped itching since they'd reached this hall full of doors, and it was making her a bit snappish. Usopp scratched the back of his head sheepishly, before he recovered his usual pride and opened the next door with a laugh.

"Have they all fled from me?" he asked cheerfully, stepping into the new room.

Danni gave him a deadpan look and retorted flatly, "Doubtful." She then turned her attention to the room and promptly got slammed with a plethora of flora scents. She gagged silently, hunching over and covering her nose. She breathed heavily through her mouth and followed Usopp automatically as he made his way forward towards the source of the snoring.

She had the brief thought of what the hell the normally cowardly teen was doing going straight towards the enemy, before it was shattered to pieces as she got the sudden image of Usopp being slammed against the wall with a powerful blow to the face. She forced herself to ignore all the clamoring scents, just in time to see a rooster chirp and Usopp to scream, "Roosters don't crow like that!"

"Usopp—" Danni started, but had to stop herself as her chest clenched painfully. She could taste blood welling up in the back of her throat and she nearly whimpered. The room had blooming ferrywings planted somewhere.

The large man on the floor blinked his eyes open, "Oh? You've come, pirates." He stood lazily, picking up the key nonchalantly up from the ground as he did so, yawning, "Now then. Shall I wreak some havoc?"

Danni just barely managed to push her crewmate out of the way and take the powerful blow intended for the sniper on her side. There was an audible snap as she flew back and smashed into the wall, which shattered upon contact. Blood poured from her mouth as she coughed harshly, clutching her side tightly. She could feel her cracked rib, and was just thankful it hadn't punctured her lung.

The gunner forced herself to stand, brushing the back of her hand against her mouth, smearing the blood on her hand and on her face in the process. Usopp was scrambling to his feet even as he crab walked backwards and away from the now awake CP9 agent. "Ehh. I meant to hit the boy," the agent yawned, taking a swig of his gourd that from the smell of it was some good quality alcohol. Danni coughed harshly, blood splattering across her palm.

"Well, sucks for you," she growled, clearing her throat and spitting a glob of blood off to the side. She shifted her grip on her rifle, readying it like a bat rather than a gun.

The man laughed, rubbing his mouth as he grinned, "I'm sorry for attacking all of a sudden. That was painful, wasn't it?" Danni scowled at him, shrugging her shoulders and deigning to give no reply. "But don't worry..." His body began to morph, much like Lucci's had, and she took a startled step back as the man morphed into a humanoid wolf. "Despite my appearance, torment isn't how I do things."

Usopp let out a startled yell, falling back on his butt from where he had managed to stand. The force of Jyabura's transformation made the wind pick up, and thus Danni's nose was assaulted once again with ferrywing. She hunched over coughing brutally and even more blood splashed against her palms, slipping through her fingers. Whatever Jyabura was going to say, was ignored in favor of peering closer at the woman and taking a deep sniff. He gave her a narrowed eyed stare and stated, "You're sick. Fatally."

She managed to glare up at him and snap back with a snarl, "Your point?"

He gave her a measured stare before scoffing, "I don't want to fight someone already dying. They're too weak." Danni's eyes flashed and she straightened immediately, deeply insulted.

Her lip curled up dangerously and she quipped, "You want a muzzle, puppy?"

He was about to respond, lips pressed back in a furious snarl, when his attention was diverted from her and to something behind her, "Hey, what are you doing? You don't look that strong."

Behind her, Usopp was standing once more and readying his new slingshot as he shouted back, "Shut up! I'm up to it no matter what! I came all the way here to rescue Robin!" Dust and a suddenly ominous rumbling successfully distracted all three of them as they stared up at the ceiling. Usopp gaped and stuttered, "The ceiling's caving in!"

**Key**

Danni couldn't help but stare at the...giraffe and the wolf (who was laughing hysterically), blinking wildly. "You have got to be shitting me," she muttered under her breath, muffling her harsh coughing with her shoulder.

Zoro gave her a sharp look and snapped under his breath, "Oi, what's wrong? You haven't overworked your body." The swordsman knew her limits very well, and knew she hadn't overworked herself quite yet. It would take a little longer before that point was hit, and he knew she would push past it anyways.

She grimaced at him and answered shortly, "There's blooming ferrywing in this blasted room." Zoro snarled silently, but was startled when something suddenly clicked around his wrist. Danni jolted slightly when she felt something cold closing shut around her own wrist, and she looked down with wide eyes.

The two gaped down at their now handcuffed together hands, before whipping their heads around to look at Usopp who had let out a shocked yell and then, "Shit! Sorry, Zoro, Danni!"

As one the two shouted back furiously, "Hey, what the hell are you doing!?" Danni swore if the teen didn't have a good answer she was going to whoop his ass when she was out of these cuffs. Usopp sweat dropped and fidgeted nervously.

"They're—I figured those were seastone cuffs, like the ones they were talking about earlier. And I thought, well, since we're fighting against devil fruit users, I thought they'd be weakened by those if they wore them!" the teen called back, trying not to shrink at the furious glare Danni was shooting him (which looked a lot more demonic with blood smeared around her mouth).

Zoro's eyebrow twitched and he shouted, "And why the hell did you think _we_ needed them on, huh!?"

Usopp shivered and shouted back, trying to ignore the withering glare as he pointed at Kaku, "C-cause the face of the giraffe was so funny...my hand just slipped!" Danni tensed at that as a sudden dark aura exploded outward.

"I've had just about enough!" Kaku snarled, before he started swinging himself around. Danni shared a look with Zoro and the two rushed at Usopp, tackling him to the ground. The gunner got a terrible sinking feeling in her gut when she felt something cold click shut around her other wrist.

Zoro sat up, one of his swords drawn and scowled, "I see. _Reach_, huh. Between the centrifugal force and the power of that humongous body, his attacks have become deeper and sharper."

Usopp sat up, looking around in confusion, and Danni was forced to follow both of their movements as her wrists were tugged with the motions and the sinking feeling grew to epic proportions. "Wha-what? Hey, nothing's broken!" Zoro glanced over at the teen and told him to look at the ceiling. "Huh? Why can I see the sky up there?" As it sunk into the sniper's head on _why_ exactly he could see the sky he had a monumental freak out.

Danni felt like she wanted to cry as she stood with the boys, the clinking of the chains finally getting their attention. The two gaped down at the connected handcuffs attached to both of Danni's wrists and one of their own. Zoro immediately glared at Usopp and yelled, "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

Usopp was crying as he shouted back, "It's not my fault! You rushed into me; that's how we got like this!"

Zoro's eyebrow twitched and he yelled right back, "Because you were just standing there, spacing out! Ugh, nevermind! Just get this shit off!" Danni kept her face blank as the two children cuffed to her fought around her like she wasn't even there. Of course, it was a bit nice that they weren't blaming it on her (granted it wasn't her fault anyways, but hey).

"I don't have the key!" Usopp snapped back.

Danni froze and she turned to look at the younger teen with a demonic face as she whispered, "_What_." Zoro's own exclamation of what died in his throat at the acidic tone the normally calm woman was using. Usopp whimpered piteously.

Swallowing heavily, the sniper managed to stammer out, "Basically, we're in the same position as Robin. One of the CP9 agents has the keys to our cuffs. We have to beat them to get it."

"Don't be stupid! How can we fight them like this?" Zoro growled raising his and Danni's connected wrists up for emphasis. Danni was getting rather annoyed with the bickering on both sides of the battle.

"Hey, guys! Tell us the numbers on your handcuffs!" Kaku shouted at them suddenly.

Usopp blinked at them and asked, "Numbers?" The two CP9 agents proceeded to explain the system of keys and handcuffs and Usopp immediately searched the cuffs for the numbers. "Two and three! Please open it!"

Both agents looked at the back of their keys. "Not mine," Jyabura sighed.

"Not mine, either," Kaku grumbled. "How disappointing."

In a completely flat voice, Danni said, "Usopp, I am going to murder you brutally when we get out of these cuffs." The sniper whimpered and Zoro gave the woman a wary look.

**Blood**

Zoro started when Danni's body shuddered and froze suddenly. He looked over at her and had to refrain from flinching back violently. Danni's eyes had gone completely lifeless and her body was completely slack, barely even standing. Usopp looked at her with wide eyes and stuttered, "Danni!? What's wrong?"

The trio had stopped running, and the CP9 agents were catching up, but everyone froze when the gunner's head snapped back and her mouth opened wide as a piercing, blood curdling scream cracked through the air. Her eyes suddenly cleared as her scream abruptly stopped and she coughed, blood spilling past her lips, "Ch-chopper..."

Zoro looked at her in confusion, "Chopper?" As if in answer to his name, a humongous monster smashed through the wall with a loud roar. The creature was wearing Chopper's hat and shorts, but everything else about it made it hard to see the cute doctor anywhere in it. It sniffed the air before its eyes zeroed in on the handcuffed trio and with another great roar it began chasing after them smashing things in its path with its hands.

"Hey! Is that really Chopper!? How come he doesn't recognize us!?" Zoro shouted, looking at Danni, who had tears and snot dripping down her face, which was smearing together with the blood already caked on it.

She moaned, struggling to keep up with the fast pace. "It is Chopper, but Chopper's _lost_," she stammered voice cracking as she coughed and sniffled. She continued to cry, barely keeping herself from sobbing at the darkness threatening to overtake her and swallow her whole. Just like Chopper. She let out another whimper at the thought and the emptiness surrounding her heart.

"But then what about our keys?" Zoro asked wincing at the lost look Danni shot him, as if she was asking how come he wasn't fixing this.

Usopp had tears streaming down his face, but it was more out of sheer terror than anything else. "Don't know. This is it. We'll die here—," the teen moaned.

Zoro's eyes flashed and he snarled, "No we're not!" He then glanced back at Chopper, who looked as if he were sweating and was wheezing heavily. "Besides, isn't..._he_ the one who looks about to die?" The three stopped running as Monster Chopper had stopped chasing them, standing in place panting heavily. "His vitality seems to be decreasing drastically..."

Danni whimpered, threading her fingers with Zoro's as best as she could and gripping them tight. Zoro winced, looking down at her with worry, considering she was beginning to look sickly pale, and was trembling slightly. "Wh-what do you mean?" Usopp asked, also looking at Danni worriedly.

"Maybe he's using too much energy to stay in that form. If he stays like that, he might collapse at any time!" the swordsman theorized, looking up at the monstrous form warily.

Danni's ears perked slightly as Kaku said, "...What an interruption. What is that monster?" She turned her head to look at the two agents, her tears slowly coming to a stop.

"Of course he interrupts. He's probably one of those pirates," Jyabura scoffed, glaring at the monster. Danni slowly straightened, still keeping her eyes trained on the two zoan fruit users.

Kaku hummed, and said, "Buster Call is coming soon, too." Danni snarled, a surge of anger overcoming her as her mind connected the conclusion the two enemies were going to come to about Chopper. It wasn't about to happen on her watch. With the hand connected to Usopp she shoved it into the pocket of her overalls, and pulled out a bright yellow paper cartridge. The teen stared at her with wide eyes behind his mask, letting his arm go slack so she could move her hand with "relative" ease.

She ripped the cartridge open and poured it down the muzzle of one of her pistols she had Usopp grab with his free hand, before shoving the bullet down after it. The flash pan had already been primed and filled, and the gun only needed to be shot now. She turned to the still wide eyed teen and ordered, "Shoot this at them, and don't you dare miss."

The sniper straightened his back and nodded firmly, grasping the pistol with a practiced hand and aiming it at the two agents about to attack _their _nakama. He wasn't going to let that happen, even if he wasn't a part of the crew anymore! He pulled the trigger and the recoil came back harshly, but with the help of Danni, his shoulder wasn't wrenched out of its socket. The bullet was lost in the glowing stream of bright yellow that ripped up the floor in its path.

The two agents dodged to the side as the bullet landed in between them, but they couldn't avoid the sudden explosion the collision with the ground caused. They were thrown back even further, and an unfamiliar voice called out, "Get outta the way, guys!"

Zoro turned his head and yelled at Franky, who had his hands up and pointed at Chopper, "Franky! What are you doing!? He's our—"

Franky cut him off, "I know! Just shut up! I don't see any other way to take care of this. Devil Fruit users have one weakness. I'll push him down into the ocean! I'll adjust the power, so please bear with it!" Chopper let out another explosive roar. "Coup de Vent!" The force slammed into Chopper and sent him careening into the wall and through it and thus down into the ocean.

"Franky! You bastard! What the hell did you—" Usopp started yelling, but Nami's voice interrupted him.

"Don't worry; we had it all planned out from the beginning," the orange haired navigator said, coming up from behind them as their position was covered by the dust from the crash. Danni looked back at the girl, sniffing hard, but thankfully no longer crying. Nami didn't give any reaction to the state the older woman was in and merely held up two keys with a wide grin, "You guys need something?"

**Anxiety**

Danni couldn't shake the anxiety clawing at her stomach. She had no doubt that Luffy would win, but she couldn't shake the feeling that cost of winning would be rather high. She shoved the thoughts away, continuing to focus on running, trying to ignore the water rushing at them from behind. She wasn't able to give much more to thinking as they ran into Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp and the water swallowed them completely.

Danni tried to hold her breath as best as she could, but darkness was beginning to blur her vision as the water tossed her about violently. Just as she was about to lose all of her breath, she was suddenly being pulled by something that she thought was supposed to be a...mermaid? She stared, unable to do much else as she and her nakama were pulled along by Kokoro, who suddenly now had a fish tail.

Her vision began to darken again but just as she was about to black out completely, they broke the surface. She gasped, gulping in big breaths of fresh air as they all smashed into the deck of a ship. Unlike her fellow crewmates she wasn't as so in deathly shock over Kokoro's visage, so she managed to roll onto her knees and cough violently, blood splashing on the deck as she held herself up on trembling arms.

She panted harshly, struggling to climb on her feet, but her body wasn't responding to her will. She was startled when large hands helped her to her feet and she looked up and was greeted by the sight of Franky (that was his name, right?). "Thank you," she mumbled, voice hoarse and cracking slightly. She tried to let go and stand on her own, but her legs refused to cooperate, and this time it was Zoro who kept her from falling face first.

He gave her a level stare and said sternly, "Sit down and rest, Danni." She opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it and simply nodded instead. He easily picked her up in his arms and carried her over to where the mast was, and set her down against it easily. She sighed wearily and closed her eyes to take a little power nap, keeping her ears open for anything that she needed. Zoro gave her an exasperated look and shake of his head.

**Harsh**

"This is bad," Danni muttered, smashing her rifle into another marine's head before kicking him straight in the groin. She was further away from her crew and thus couldn't really call out to them that it really _was_ impossible for Luffy to move. It was a harsh reality, but it was the truth. She would know.

She winced as an explosion rocked from behind, destroying their getaway ship. The blast nearly swept her off her feet, but she managed to keep her balance and start making her way towards the rest of her crew. She made it there about the same time as Sanji and tried to stay calm even though they were now stuck on the prop and surrounded by marine warships.

Underneath everyone's screams for Luffy, Danni could hear a voice. Blinking, she cocked her head to the side, drifting over to the edge of the prop. "Who...?" She fell to her knees next to Usopp, looking down at the sea in confusion.

"Jump into the ocean!" Usopp shouted, voice rising above all of the noise and confusion. "Into the ocean!" Zoro looked over in confusion, calling out the sniper's name. Danni continued to stare down at the ocean, face screwed up into a look of concentration. "Robin, can you drop Luffy into the ocean?"

Robin nodded, "Leave it to me!"

The gunner's head shot up and she called out before Zoro could open his mouth to shout at Usopp, "Everyone into the ocean! We've got one more nakama!" Zoro looked at her and she stared back seriously, as Robin got Luffy into the ocean. Finally, the swordsman nodded and everyone began to leap into the ocean.

Danni couldn't stop the tears from spilling over as the Going Merry arrived beneath them. "_—Let's go back, everyone! Back to the sea of adventure again! I've come to take you home!_" Danni let out a jubilant laugh as she landed in the ocean next to the ship that had carried them across the Grand Line and flew through the sky. She quickly swam over, the tiredness of her body seeming to disappear at the reappearance of their beloved ship.

She pulled herself up the ship and hugged the railing, whispering, "Thank you, Merry."

**Doubtless**

"I'm...seeing a miracle, right now," Iceburg said solemnly. "A miracle from a ship that has reached its limit a long time ago." Luffy looked startled and Danni had no doubt that the shipwright's words were true. "I've been a shipwright for many years, yet I have never seen such an amazing pirate ship... It lived a very admirable life."

Danni bit her lip, her fingers digging into Merry's railing. Luffy closed his eyes, sighing deeply, "I understand." Nami covered her mouth, eyes tearing up. Soon, everyone was on one of the small ships from the Galley-La's ship, while Luffy stood on a dinghy boat in front of the Going Merry holding a torch in one hand. "Then, are you ready, guys?"

All of the Straw-Hat's gave affirmative answers, and Luffy stretched out the torch towards Merry. "Merry, the bottom of the sea is dark and lonely," Luffy started. "We'll see you off here." He swallowed, but stayed firm. "Maybe it's for the best that Usopp…isn't around... There's no way he can endure this..."

Zoro glanced over at Usopp and asked, "And what do you say to that?"

Danni didn't look over at them, but she did keep one ear on them, as she held onto the edge of Zoro's shirt to ground herself from the myriad of emotions felt by her crew. "He'll be alright," Usopp started solemnly. "A time of separation has come. When men part ways, tears should not be involved in it. He's fully prepared for this moment."

Merry was set ablaze and Luffy stared at it solemnly as he said, "Thank you for carrying us all this time, Merry." Danni bit her lip and let her tears flow freely as all of her memories of their ship flowed into her mind. All the times she had taken comfort in the crow's nest with Usopp telling her wild stories. Her time's spent in the kitchen with Sanji. Taking naps together with Zoro and Luffy against the mast. Braiding Nami and Robin's hair and getting her own hair braiding by them. Visits with Chopper. The drinking contests...the stories...the sheer _joy_ of being _together_.

"_I'm sorry_." Danni started, her fingers tightening their grip on Zoro's shirt as she stared at Merry with wide eyes. Everyone was staring at the ship, some with teary eyes, others with solemn looks. "_I wanted to carry you just a little bit further...I'm sorry. I wanted to go on more adventures with you..._" Danni sobbed, the emotions becoming almost too overwhelming for her to bear. "_But I..._"

Luffy cut Merry off by shouting, tears thick in his voice, "We're the ones who have to apologize, Merry! I'm not good at navigating, and I crashed you into an iceberg! I even ripped the sails, sometimes! Zoro and Sanji are idiots, so they broke many things, too! Usopp always tried to fix you every time, but he's not good at that either! We're so sorry—"

"_But I was...happy_. _Thank you for taking care of me until now. I was really happy._"

Danni threw her head back and sobbed loudly, eyes screwed shut as tears and snot dripped down her face. She brought her hands up to her face to cover it, and couldn't even begin to stop crying. All of the emotions and _memories_.

_Goodbye, Merry._

**Family**

"Eh, dad?" Luffy asked. "What do you mean dad? I have a dad?" Danni frowned as she moved towards the ridiculously large crowd surrounding a _hole_ in the wall of the place they were currently staying in. What on earth was going on?

"Oh, what? He didn't introduce himself? I heard he saw you off in Loguetown," an unfamiliar voice answered her captain. Frown deepening, she elbowed a marine in her way, giving him a scathing glare when he yelped and protested at her.

"What's my dad like?" Luffy asked. Danni knew the other's had said things, but she couldn't really hear them. She shoved another marine out of the way, ignoring the urge to take her rifle off her back and just batter through them all.

"You father's name is _Monkey D. Dragon_, the Revolutionary," the unfamiliar voice responded. Danni barely managed to not get herself trampled as everyone within hearing distance freaked out. She finally managed to make it to the front, shouldering her rifle irritably.

She somehow managed to go unnoticed by everyone as they were freaking out and Luffy (clueless as ever) received an explanation of just _who_ exactly his dad was. "Ack! Maybe I shouldn't have said that!" the unfamiliar voice said, and she finally got a look at the old man that was speaking. Oh. It was Garp the Fist. Luffy sure had an interesting family tree. "Then nevermind what I just said!"

"Geez, captain," Danni said, somehow easily heard over everyone's exclamation of disbelief. "You sure attract some odd company."

Luffy turned to her with a large smile, "Danni!" The gunner was carrying a bag in one hand, and had her rifle slung over her back as per usual, but didn't have any of her revolvers or pistol. They had been irreparably damaged by the water back on Enies Lobby, while her rifle, made of a rather rare material, hadn't gotten any water damage whatsoever. "Where've you been?"

She switched the unlit cigarette to the other side of her mouth and shrugged, "I needed more ammo and new guns." She then noticed she was being stared at rather intently by Garp and she quirked a calm eyebrow at the marine. "What?"

"You're the daughter of Benn Beckman, aren't you?" the marine asked, causing another large shocked reaction, her crew included (sans Luffy).

Her response only furthered the shock, "Yeah, so?"

**Last**

"Oh, the new bounty posters," Yasopp said idly, pulling them out and flicking through them lazily, before he hit a certain name. He stopped and stared. Straw-Hat Luffy. 300, 000, 000 Belli. The smiling image and words stared up at him as if mocking him. He hurriedly flipped through the rest of them and gaped when he reached another one with a rather familiar face on it.

Dark Breaker Danni. 99, 000, 000 Belli.

Clutching the two posters the sharp shooter dashed across the deck yelling, "Captain! Captain! Benn! You're gonna wanna take a look at these!" The rest of the crew watched as the dreadlocked man ran across the deck to their still irritated captain, who had looked up at the shout, as had Benn who was leaning back against the railing, smoking. The last time Yasopp had ran yelling across the deck, some poor unfortunate soul had paid the price.

"What is it, Yasopp?" Shanks asked, smothering most of his irritation at Whitebeard away to see what had one of his close friends shouting. He promptly got a face full of papers for his question and he sputtered as he swiped them from the sniper and gave him a miffed glare, which the man shrugged off easily. "Now, what's got you in such a—"

The redhead had to stop as he stared at the two bounty posters in his hands. He wasn't all to surprised to see Luffy, though he had to wonder what the hell Anchor did to get such a large bounty increase, it was the second one that caught him by surprise.

The picture was of a dark haired girl with lazy eyes that had dark bags under them and had an unlit cigarette in her mouth as she stared at the camera with a raised eyebrow. He blinked. Once. Then twice. Before he blurted out, "Benn, when did your daughter become a pirate?"

The smoker looked over with an incredulous look and asked, "What?"

Shanks shoved the poster at his first mate, saying, "Your daughter. She's a pirate. With a high first bounty, too." Benn simply stared down at the picture of the girl that was of a surety his little Danni, and couldn't stop the proud feeling bubbling up inside of him.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: So that's the end of the Water 7 arc! I didn't write the scene where Franky joins the crew, because nothing actually changes, hahaha. Although, I will say that Danni draws great amusement from Robin's actions, much to everyone's horror.

Thriller Bark is next, which means Brook! Yay! I should be posting the first snippets of the Alternate!Danni series sometime soon as a separate story, so keep a look out for that! But dang, I have so many ideas bouncing around for the Saboady Arc, and the time skip, that I'm having problems writing all that happens up to that point! Whoops. Anyways. I'm posting this chapter a bit early, but I'm getting a bit impatient, eheheheh.

Reviews are very much appreciated and anticipated, and I adore each one I receive! They give me the will to continue writing this story! C:


	15. Chapter 15

**Bleak**

"It shouldn't be night yet...," Zoro muttered gazing out at the sea and the thick fog surrounding them. "The fog's so thick, it's eerily dark."

Danni leaned against Sunny's railing, one hand resting on her cheek as she blinked idly out at the sea, "It is a bit bleak, isn't it?" Zoro snickered, shooting a grin at her, which was returned with an added eyebrow wiggle.

Franky wandered over looking around and saying, "Could it be that we've entered that part of the ocean already? My heart's not ready yet!" Danni shot the cyborg an amused look, which then turned to Usopp when the teen perked up.

"Oh!? We've already arrived at Mermaid Island?" the sniper asked excitedly. Danni had to turn her face away to avoid bursting out into laughter.

Luffy swung over, stating nonchalantly, "No, that ocean where monsters appear!" Usopp twitched, face beginning to pale.

Danni bit her cheek to stop the laughter bubbling up inside of her as Franky side eyed Usopp with a heavily shadowed face and said, "That's right. Don't relax just yet. No doubt about it. This area is the famous Florien Triangle." Usopp whimpered lowly, and Franky let a grin spread across his face as he finished, "The strange sea where almost everything disappears shrouded in fog.

Usopp gaped, drenched in sweat and pale faced as he stuttered incoherently about monsters. Luffy grinned at his sniper widely, laughing cheerily, "Monsters show up here."

Usopp let out an unmanly shriek as he pointed wildly, trembling heavily as he shouted, "Don't screw with me! Why's everyone acting like they knew; I never heard about this!"

Luffy laughed from his perch on the railing, "Old Lady Kokoro told us there are living skeletons here." Danni raised an eyebrow at that. Living skeletons? That sounded like fun.

Sanji sighed, sticking a cigarette in his mouth, "That's just your imagination, don't scare him like that." The blonde chef then turned to Usopp holding a lit match under his face as he said in an ominous tone, "Listen, Usopp. Every year in this ocean, over a hundred ships vanish mysteriously. What's more, ghost ships carrying corpses wander these waters...or so they say." He let out a little evil chuckle at the end turning away and actually lighting his cigarette.

Usopp screamed shrilly, clutching his head, "This is awful! Say stuff like that beforehand!"

Sanji didn't even turn around as he asked, "And if I had?"

"Preparations! I'd fortify myself with stuff that wards off evil spirits!" Usopp screeched, unaware of Danni who had started approaching him from behind silently a smirk stretched across her face. Chopper screamed as well asking the sniper to give him some of that stuff as well.

Leaning in towards the back of Usopp's head, the gunner blew air against the sniper's ear and said shortly, but with a dark and ominous tone, "Boo." Usopp jumped into the air with a rather girly screech, Chopper clinging to his leg and shivering. The two fell on the deck and everyone could now hear the sound of music. Danni blinked; slightly startled when she recognized the tune, turning to look in the direction the music was coming from with curiosity.

Directly behind them was a humongous ship with tattered sails and decaying wood that was creaking and groaning sinisterly. Danni blinked, and then cocked her head to the side, holding her cheek with one hand, "Oh my." Everyone else gaped at the ship (sans Robin) and screamed about a ghost ship. She was fairly sure Usopp and Chopper were foaming at the mouth. The music continued to drift through the air and there was definitely someone singing.

The gunner merely watched as her captain run towards the ship excitedly, an amused smile on her face, even though the rest of her crew was in different levels of shock. "..In this ship...," Robin started, staring up at the ghost ship. "Is there someone actually singing?"

Zoro huffed, a smirk stretched across his face, "If it's an enemy I'll just cut them in half."

"Something's there," Sanji pointed out, taking a drag of his cigarette. Danni had noticed the shadowed figure as well, and was peering at it curiously, wondering if maybe it was a living skeleton, like Luffy had mentioned.

The fog began to clear and the crew was treated to the sight of a skeleton with an afro drinking tea against the railing of the ghost ship. "How interesting," Danni mused thoughtfully, causing most of the crew to turn to her incredulously.

"Why are we going!?" Nami cried, though she still climbing up the rope ladder attached to the ghost ship. "We should turn back!"

Luffy puffed his cheeks out and called back down, "I told you I was fine by myself!" Danni chuckled, glancing up at her captain with amusement.

"No way! If you do something stupid and our ship gets cursed, then what?" Nami screeched. Danni cocked an eyebrow down at the girl, silently asking her what was she then? Nami gave her a pointed glare and tacked on, "You'd just laugh and stand by if Luffy got our ship cursed, Danni!" Danni hummed, turning her attention back to climbing. The navigator did have a point.

"You were looking forward to the _treasure_ _ship_, weren't you Nami?" Luffy asked, lips stretched in a grin that said he was completely pumped for an adventure.

Nami made a strangled noise and shouted back, "Now is this the _treasure ship_! You saw it didn't you? The moving skeleton!"

If anything, Luffy's grin only widened as he laughed, "That's the guardian of treasure! Let's search for him first!"

Danni blinked up at the railing of the ship where said skeleton was peering down at them. "I don't believe we'll have to look for him, captain," the gunner pointed out. Nami and Sanji let out loud screams upon seeing said skeleton.

"How do you do? Yohohoho~!" the skeleton greeted upon all of them reaching the deck. Danni peered at him curiously. She couldn't believe there actually _was_ a living skeleton. How interesting. "Pardon my earlier behavior! I met eyes with you before, yet could give no greeting!" He tipped his hat to them, holding a steaming cup of tea in his other hand. "What a surprise! It's been decades, perhaps, since I've met a living person! (Danni narrowed her eyes at this.) All you see is ghost ship after ghost ship around these parts. So scary!"

Luffy laughed gleefully, pointing (rather rudely) at the skeleton and exclaiming, "Look, he's talking! The skeleton's talking with his afro!" Danni gave her captain an odd look. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Now, now, do please come in!" the skeleton exclaimed cheerfully, before he noticed Nami and said, "My, my, what a lovely young woman over there! Be-au-ti-ful~!"

Nami held her hands up nervously, swallowing hard, "Uhm...no, that's..."

The rather dapper skeleton continued, not having heard her, "I've never set eyes on such a beauty! Cause skeletons don't have eyes! Yohohoho~!" Suddenly in a very polite voice he asked, "Perhaps you would be so kind as to show me your panties?"

Nami immediately got over her nervousness and smashed her foot into his head shrieking, "Like hell I'd show you!"

He fell down with another one of his laughs, saying, "My, my, how severe! I felt that down to my bones! Just down to my skeleton!"

"Just shut up!" Nami yelled, fists clenched.

Danni couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling over, and she leaned against Luffy, who laughing just as hard, face nearly split in half from his grin. The skeleton hopped back up and moved towards Danni, "My, another beauty! Would you be so kind as to show me _your_ panties?"

The gunner stopped laughing abruptly and straightened, lips stretched in a chillingly polite smile as she answered in an equally polite tone, "No." A shiver ran down the skeleton's spine and he had the thought that it would be best not to ask this woman that question again, lest he wanted to be blown to smithereens.

If anything, Luffy laughed even harder, before he asked, "Can you poop?"

"There are all sorts of questions you should ask before that one!" Sanji yelled at his captain, voice a little shriller than usual. Danni gave the man an odd look. Why would that question be an option in the first place?

"Indeed I do," the skeleton answered easily.

Sanji rounded on him, shouting, "Don't answer!" Then pointing a finger, continued, "First! You're nothing but bones, so how can you walk and talk? What the hell are you? Why are you here? What happened on this ship? Tell us everything that's going on these waters!"

Danni cocked an eyebrow at the chef, but ignored the rudeness as Luffy had planted his hands on his hips and was standing in front of them. She just knew what was about to come out of his mouth. "Before that, become our nakama!" the captain ordered, grinning widely.

Surprisingly, the skeleton answered rather promptly, "Yes, very well then." Danni chuckled into her hand as Sanji and Nami shrieked in shock at the exchange, but she glanced at her captain and had to wonder. Had he asked because he could also sense the deep loneliness from the skeleton?

**Knot**

"Why are there all these stairs leading down?" Robin asked, looking around the stairway with a raised eyebrow. Danni shrugged her shoulders, hopping down the steps, rather than walking. She was feeling jittery and there was a knot in her stomach that made her uncomfortable.

"It said _entrance_, so it doesn't matter thinking about it," Luffy called back, already pretty far ahead of the group. The rubber teen blinked as he saw something moving in the shadows of the moat, and asked, "Geh! What's that in the moat?"

The rest of the group reached their captain in time to see a three headed wolf (wasn't one of those a fox?) emerge from the shadows. Luffy panted, lips stretched in a wide grin as he held his net up at the ready and asked excitedly, "Ah, I wonder if it's yummy?"

Sanji looked at it and raised an impressed eyebrow, "Wow...a cerebros? We must be on the direct way to hell then."

Danni chuckled, eyeing the cerebros with a curious eye, "I think hell might be pretty fun, if it has this type of creature in it."

Robin let out her own chuckle as she said with a small smile, "It's cute."

"He wanna brawl?" Franky muttered, holding his chin with one hand as he looked at the three headed wolf (seriously, was that fox head?) who was beginning to look rather confused.

Zoro glowered and scoffed, "How brazen." The cerebros looked utterly shocked, jerking back and staring at them with wide eyes. Then suddenly it growled, pawing at the ground and fur sticking up on end. Zoro raised an eyebrow, and muttered, "What did he get pumped about all of sudden?" The creature let loose a vicious growl, and the swordsman sighed moving to draw one of his swords, "Well, then I'll—"

Luffy interrupted him, holding his chin and grinning widely, "No wait! I wanna try and tame him!" Danni muffled her chuckle with her hand, but from the not so amused glance she got from Zoro it wasn't muffled enough.

"You think you could be his owner?" Zoro asked their captain incredulously.

Luffy ignored him cheerfully as he held a hand out and said cheerfully, "Dog is dog! Oooh-kay! Give paw!" All three heads barked and lunged at Luffy, clamping their jaws around him. Franky sweat dropped and Danni let an amused smile curl her lips. With his head still in one of the head's mouths, the teen patted the head and said, "Alright, alright...be a good boy... Now let go...good boy..." Then without any warning whatsoever, Luffy slammed his fist in the cerebros, slamming it into the wall as he shouted, "You asshole!"

As the cerebros slumped to the floor, Luffy held his hand over it and said, "Down."

In unison Zoro, Sanji, and Danni said with sweat drops, "No, no..."

Robin sighed and took a closer look at the down animal, "In any case, it has a bad wound. It's strange that it's alive."

Sanji sweat dropped as he held up the fox head by the ear and said, "Above that, how can it be a living thing anyway? What with a fox head mixed into it..."

"We got attacked by an invisible thing, saw an actual ghost and have a living skeleton in our crew, not to mention our ship got caught in a huge ass spider web," Danni started giving the two of them flat looks. "And you wondering how this is a living thing?" Sanji gave her a sheepish look, while Robin gave a look that was easily read as 'it's still odd.' Danni simply shrugged her shoulders.

"He-hello! P-please, wait a moment!" The group turned around, and Danni cocked her head to the side as she stared at the man who was practically skin and bones and had various heavy wounds and was currently holding a lantern and calling after them. "I've just watched you! (That didn't sound creepy at all...) You're terribly strong! Would you please listen to me for a second?"

There was a beat and then Luffy exclaimed in shock, "An old man with a big wound!?"

"Again, it's a zombie!" Sanji, Zoro, and Franky yelled in unison, eyes twitching.

This was promptly shot down by the man with, "Actually, I'm an old man with a big wound." Danni snickered as all three of the men's eyes bulged and they shouted in shock. The old man then knelt on the ground in front of them and began to explain his story, "There is a man whom I wish to see defeated! I think you guys could really do it! There are many victims... If he was beaten, they would all be rescued! If my _shadow_ was returned, I would be very grateful!"

Luffy looked down and blinked, "Oh really! You don't have a shadow, too! Just like Brook!" Danni cocked her head to the side. Shadows being stolen... She didn't like the sound of that. She frowned, fingering the latch of her holster for the revolver attached to her leg. She was getting the uncomfortable feeling again.

"Who the hell did that?" Zoro asked. "Is he on the island?"

The old man nodded, "It's a man called Moria. He is very terrible!" Danni flinched at the name, her stomach dropping. She _did not _like where this going. Not at all. She shifted closer to Zoro, who shot her a questioning look, but she only shook her head back at him. She couldn't explain what exactly was wrong.

"Could it be?" Robin muttered, and then louder she asked, "Gecko Moria, by any chance?" At the old man's agreement, her face paled dramatically and she took a small step back. Danni shivered as she felt the shot of fear that crawled down her spine.

Luffy blinked at Robin and asked, "You know him, Robin?"

The dark haired woman shook her head, "Only by name. He's a man whose former bounty even exceeds yours, Luffy!" Danni felt her own face pale. There was only one way someone had a former bounty if they weren't dead. "Gecko Moria is one of the Shichibukai!"

**Hallucination**

Danni frowned looking around the dining room in confusion. "Where's Sanji?" she asked, sweeping her gaze around the room again with dangerous eyes. She could've sworn he'd just been here a moment ago.

Luffy turned around, blinking and with one hand on his hat, "Eh? He was just here until now... Where'd he go?" A portrait snickered, and another one told it to shut up. Danni turned her head and glared at them sharply.

Zoro noticed them as well, and side eyed them darkly as he said coldly, "They did something...at some point." He then crossed his arms and nodded solemnly, "We've lost a pitiful man." Danni closed her eyes, lips twitching, and Franky sweat dropped.

Luffy nodded easily, "Welll. But that's that, then. Sanji's probably alright!" Danni felt like that was true, but at the same time _wasn't_. It was a really odd feeling.

"But in this zombie mansion...," Robin hummed, than trailed off before she said instead, "Maybe we should rather worry about rescuing the other three." The pig was yelling something at them, but Danni had long since tuned him out. "In any case, we should only proceed with caution. I don't think he's telling the truth. Nami and the others are in danger."

Zoro turned to the talking pig head, cocking his head to the side and said nonchalantly, "Okay then, let's take this pig with us as a guide." The various portraits began exclaiming about their master and how frightening and terrible he was, but Danni wasn't really paying attention. She could feel Sanji in..._two_ places?

"It's okay to feel guilt when you lose one or two of your friends...," one of the portraits was saying, dragging Danni away from her confusing realization. "But before the Shichibukai Gecko...no, _Master_'s true power you should fear not being able to even yourselves..."

Luffy cut him off with an eye roll, "Ramble, bramble. Shut _up_. Now, tell me where this idiot Moria is!" The teen gave a very convincing growl that matched is rather feral expression, and the portraits all let out shrill screams. Luffy glared down at them and snarled, "If _anything_ happened to my friends, _I'll pummel you from the surface of this island_!" The captain sniffed, turning away from the shocked and terrified portraits and heading towards the stairs. "First of all, we can leave Sanji alone. He won't die."

Danni followed behind them, smiling in amusement, though she still couldn't quite shake the worried feeling she was getting. The gunner had no time to react when something wrapped around her mouth and then her body, yanking her up and away from her crew, who continued walking, not noticing a thing. She struggled violently, trying to wriggle her way out of whatever was holding her, and then when she finally saw what had just kidnapped her, she wondered if she was hallucinating.

Spiders stared back at her and she didn't have any time to anything before she was taken somewhere. Soon she came face to face with Gecko Moria, who leered down at her and said, "What a nice catch. The daughter of that wretched _Beckman_." Danni glared up at him, her curses muffled by the spider silk covering her mouth. He pulled out a pair of scissors and she stared with wide eyes as he pulled her shadow up and into the air, the struggling form stretching to its limit, before with a snip, it was cut from her body.

She tried to stay awake, but her vision was slowly turning dark and the last thing she saw was her shadow struggling violently and Moria laughing in a deranged way.

**Bump**

Danni frowned as her consciousness slowly returned. "A _beautiful lady swordsman_ just arrived with a ton of _meat_!" What the hell? She wondered blearily, trying to push past the heaviness of sleep. She felt weird. Like there was something wrong with her body.

"Beauty?"

"Swordsman?"

"Meat?"

"They're hopeless!"

Danni struggled. What the hell was going on? She was startled when whatever she was sitting on was jolted and she fell off, bumping her head on the floor. "You bastard! My shadow!" Luffy screamed.

"Calm down! Moria isn't here!" Franky yelled right back, a smack echoing in the dining room. Danni sat up dazedly; she finally opened her eyes, but they felt extremely heavy. Her head felt like it was swimming and the dining room was threatening to tilt over completely. Her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn't remember what happened to her last.

She could hear the others around her but she was distracted by the empty feeling inside her. Zoro's exclamation of it feeling weird without his shadow had her scrambling to her feet and staring down at the floor where her own shadow was missing with wide eyes. "Danni?" Chopper questioned quietly, looking up at the shell shocked woman worriedly. She looked a lot paler than normal.

"M-my shadow," she stammered, pulling on her hair harshly as she bit her lip. "I can't—it—I—_I don't feel complete_!" She buried her fingers in her loose hair (when had that happened?), swallowing roughly as she tried to get rid of the itching feeling crawling all over her body.

"This is seriously dishonorable...," Zoro muttered, shaking his head with a hand on his forehead. "I let my guard down!"

Luffy was next to him, cradling a hunk of cheese and cheeks stuffed full of even more cheese, "We lost the pirate lunch boxes too... It's not right... Just cheese..."

Sanji looked around in confusion, teeth clenched around his cigarette, "By the way, Nami-san doesn't seem to be around...?"

Danni whimpered looking up suddenly, with a distressed face. "Lufffyyy—!" she whined weakly, her lip quivering as all three of the equally discombobulated men turned to her. "I feel violated!" It was said in a truly distraught voice and it had Zoro's expression darkening at the reminder, while Sanji looked ready to commit murder. Luffy looked at her seriously, swallowing the food in his mouth. He stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye.

"_You will be fine_," he told her firmly. She sniffed and then nodded, her captain's touch and words grounding her and letting her gain her sense of equilibrium again. Franky looked at the two with a furrowed brow, wondering why he had the feeling there was more going on there then what he could just see. Robin noticed the cyborg's expression, but kept her mouth shut. It wasn't her place to tell.

**Grinning**

"I'M ALREADY NEGATIVE!" Usopp shouted. Danni couldn't help it. Even though she was feeling like the scum of the earth and even lower than that, and it really wasn't something she should laugh at, but just. She couldn't help it. Danni fell flat on her back, clutching her stomach and laughing wildly. Usopp flushed bright red, "Damnit, Danni! Don't laugh at me!"

Taking a deep breath the gunner managed to stop her laughter, hiccupping slightly, and still grinning widely. "Sorry, Usopp. It's just—" She couldn't even finish her sentence, lest she start laughing again. She had put a hand over her mouth to muffle the snickers when their enemies cheered for Usopp (who took great offense to that).

Usopp turned to the men, who hadn't reacted because of being heavily hit by the negative ghosts, and yelled, "Now, snap out of it! Quickly go forward and rescue Nami and Brook! Your strength is no match for this woman! I'll take care of her!"

Danni stood pulling one of her revolvers from their holsters on her legs and twirled it around in her hand, lips still stretched in a wide grin. "You want us to take care of the surrounding zombies for you, Usopp?" she purred, practically oozing bloodlust. She didn't appreciate being forced to feel negative. She could do that to herself well enough on her own. Usopp nodded, whimpering as he eyed said surrounding zombies. "Alright, then you guys go on ahead and I'll catch up with you once I take out the trash, okay?"

The three other men nodded and raced off, half the zombies starting off after them. Or they would have if a streak of electric blue didn't stop them in their tracks. The streak hovered in mid air sparking and making a threatening hissing noise. There was the click of a gun being cocked and the group slowly turned their heads to look towards the source. Danni stood there with her revolver pointed at them and finger hovering over the trigger. Her grin widened. "I wonder what would happen if I set that off," she mused cheerfully.

Then, winking at Usopp she fired another bullet, this was a shining white, and then took off after her three other nakama. She danced away from the blue streak just as the white bullet hit and with an ominous cracking the streak exploded, sending electrical charges everywhere. She saluted the sniper with her gun, sticking her tongue out and winking, before continuing to run towards where Brook would be.

**Revolt**

Danni felt a shiver crawl down her spine and she panted heavily, clutching her side with one hand and gripping her rifle in the other. She had quite a few cracked ribs and she was fairly sure that her ankle was sprained. On top of the numerous bruises and gashes, she wasn't in the best of shape, but then, no one really was.

Even though Moria was defeated and their shadows returned (and wasn't that an amazing feeling? Being complete...) she didn't feel like it was finished. The battle with Oz and Moria had really taken its toll on her and she could already taste blood on the back of her throat. If those two were defeated, then why did she feel like the other shoe was about to drop?

"Oh yeah! I—forgot something really important!" Nami cried out, hand covering her mouth and looking like she was going to be sick. Danni felt her stomach drop.

Robin raised an eyebrow and asked the navigator, "What happened?" Nami was about to explain, face still deathly pale, but a voice from the rooftop pulled their attention in that direction. A large man was standing there, not paying them any attention and talking into a Den Den Mushi.

"I see. My uneasy feeling seems to be dead on," the voice said. It was coming from the Den Den Mushi, and the large man agreed solemnly, voice almost mechanical. "Just when we found a successor to Crocodile. It's not good to have another _Shichibukai_ defeated."

Danni felt like crying. "Calm down and listen!" Nami said, body trembling. "During the fight with Moria I forgot to tell you...but on this island there was another! A Shichibukai!" Danni wanted to revolt against the unfairness at life. She may have said at one time that their crew had amazing luck, but it could be said on the other side of luck as well. They had some pretty terrible luck too. It seemed that all of their good luck was about to be repaid in tenfold with _bad_ luck.

"I can let you live," Kuma started, holding the bomb in his hands. "But surrender Straw Hat Luffy. If we have his head, the world government will not chase you anymore." Danni easily let the ferocious rage of her nakama wash over and in her, blending with her own sparking fury.

"You're asking us to betray a comrade...," Usopp growled expression uncharacteristically dark with anger.

Kuma continued, "Come...Hand me Straw Hat."

There was no hesitation as everyone in the Straw Hat crew, and even Lola's crew screamed, "NO WAY IN HELL!"

"What a pity," Kuma sighed, expression never changing from its blank state. Danni gritted her teeth and crouched down to try and minimize damage, though she knew it probably wouldn't help in the least bit. The bomb exploded and she flew through the air, smashing into the rubble as the force made her bones creak in protest. Her vision blacked for a moment, and when it returned it was fuzzy at best.

Her breath hitched and blood slipped past her lips. She struggled to stand, blearily gazing around her surroundings to get her bearing. The gunner didn't so much as _see _Zoro as she _felt_ him. She finally managed to get her feet under her, holding onto her rifle like it was life line, and staggered over to where she could feel Zoro's shock, confusion, and sheer violence.

"Why must you take Luffy's head?" Zoro asked, voice exhausted and slightly desperate and Danni didn't like the way this going.

Kuma answered, "This is already my best offer." Danni's eyes widened as she felt all confusion and desperation fade into a steel core of determination. She stumbled around a piece of rubble and came to the scene of Zoro kneeling on the ground in front of Kuma, who was staring down at the swordsman with a blank expression.

"I see," Zoro said quietly. "Go on and take the head... (No.) However, let mine substitute his! (_No_.) Let my life exchange for his! I beg of you! (NO.) I know my head isn't worth much at the moment...but eventually I will become the world's number one swordsman. I'd say exchanging my life for his is an equally good deal! (_NO_.)"

"If you have such a great ambition then by dying for him...How will you ever be satisfied?" Kuma asked. Danni found she couldn't move. This couldn't be happening. Not this. Her chest constricted tightly, and it wasn't just because of her illness. She had to get over there. Zoro couldn't do this! Not this; _never this_.

Zoro panted heavily, but still looked the Shichibukai in the eye as he answered, "Aside from that...there is already no other way to save the crew! If I can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition I have is nothing but just talk! **Luffy **_**will**_** be the man to become Pirate King.**" She tried to move, to do _anything_, but her body wasn't listening. She bit her lip, tears building up in her eyes, even as she struggled to hold back her coughs.

She was startled when Sanji appeared, "Hold on a minute, you jerk!" The chef was wobbly at best, but he still made his way forward so that he was next to Zoro. "What are you going to do if you die, huh? What happened to your dream, idiot!?" The blonde walked up to Kuma, pointing a rude finger at the bear of a man, "Oi...you big blob. Just ignore this idiot marimo swordsman...if you have to kill somebody then just take my life, instead! I know the marines don't give a damn about me...but soon enough, the man who will be most feared by the marines will be me! Black Leg Sanji!"

Danni shook her head. This couldn't be happening. "Come at once! Kill me! I've already realized that this day would come. Let the _flower of death_ bloom in me!" Sanji crossed his arms and firmed his stance in front of Zoro. Danni's bottom lip trembled. "Oi...tell everyone to _take care_ and…that you'll have to find yourselves another chef!" Sanji told the swordsman. Danni tried once again to move, but her body still refused to cooperate, stuck in place as if she'd been nailed down. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the tears spilling down her cheeks. Why _couldn't she move!?_

Zoro suddenly moved, slamming his sword under Sanji's ribs, making the blonde collapse to the floor with a curse. Then as if his strings had been cut, the chef fell over, unconscious. Zoro threw his swords away from him, towards Kuma. "N-n—" Danni started, her foot moving forward slightly.

"I hope you will keep your promise after I die," Zoro said, standing straight and proud in the face of death.

Kuma stared down at the swordsman, then at the fallen form of Sanji, and sighed, "In that case, if I still lay my hand on Straw Hat, my honor would be at stake." Fear was clinging to her like a heavy cloak, but she managed to force her feet to move forward. She couldn't let Zoro do this! He had an ambition! A goal to strive for! She _didn't_. **She was already dying**_._

"NO!" she shouted, lurching forward. "I won't let you! Zoro!" The swordsman's eyes widened when he saw her and he made an aborted move to say her name, but she cut him off, scrambling over to him, "No! You have something to look forward to, Zoro!" She fell to her knees next to him, and looked up at Kuma, "Take _my life instead_! I'm worth more than him, though my bounty's smaller! Surely you know I'm an abomination that shouldn't have been born? I've got bad blood!" She coughed harshly, blood splashing to the floor and her entire body was trembling from the intense strain she was putting on it. "Besides...," she whispered, though it was heard by both men easily. "_I'm already dying._"

Kuma stared down at her, expression never changing. Zoro clenched his fists tightly and before the gunner could react, he pulled her closer to him and hit the back of her neck. Her eyes widened as she fell forward in what felt like slow motion the edges of her vision going dark. "Zo...ro...?" managed to push its way past her bloody lips, and her head hit his shoulder with a soft thunk.

She felt his hand pressed against the back of her head, and his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Sorry...but I can't let you do this." Then her vision faded, his apology ringing in her ears.

**Evoke**

"_Ne, ne, Danni-chan! Come sing with us!" Strong arms scooped her up by the waist and she was greeted by a wide smile from under a straw hat covered head. _

"_Ehh? But I can't sing! I don't even know what you're singing!" she exclaimed in shock, wiggling her way out of Shanks' arms. The man laughed loudly, throwing an arm over the thirteen year old's shoulders and easily leading her over to the group of pirates surrounding a bonfire. The crew were laughing and drinking, and some were pulling out instruments in preparation of singing._

"_It doesn't matter if you can't sing!" Shanks laughed. "And you'll pick the words up in no time!" Before she could protest any further she was forced to sit down next her dad, who was smoking a cigarette and watching over the crew with amusement. A drink was placed in her hand, and she didn't even bother checking what it was before she took a sip, listening to the words the pirates were starting to sing. _

"_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho_

_Binkusu no sake o, todoke ni yuku yo_

_Umikaze kimakase namimakase_

_Shio no mu—"_

"—kou de...," Danni trailed off as she opened her eyes blearily. She was sitting on the floor next to a piano she had found in there earlier, and not on a beach surrounded by the rambunctious Red Hair Pirates.

"Let's be comrades! Alright?" Luffy exclaimed from his perch on top of the piano, that Danni realized was being played by Brook. The song was Bink's Sake. A song she held very close to her heart as it held fond memories of her time with the Red Hair Pirates, and thus her dad. Brook didn't answer immediately and Luffy continued cheerfully, "Now that you have your shadow back, you don't have to worry about sailing in the sun, right?"

Danni felt disoriented as she yawned and scanned the room out in front of her. The pirates were drinking and eating and just all around having a good time. Zoro was in the far back, still unconscious on the bed. She had been there originally, but Chopper had shooed her away when she started to hover. "...About that...," Brook started, even as he continued to play. "There's actually one thing that I haven't told you about yet."

Luffy blinked in confusion, "What?"

"I made a promise with a _comrade_. If I don't realize it first, then I'm not fit to be a man," Brook explained.

Luffy laughed, a wide smile on his face, "You're talking about Laboon, right? I know about it! Franky told me already!" Danni let a smile curl her lips at the reminder of the large whale. He had been a sweet thing, once he stopped moaning and ramming his head against the mountain.

"Eh...Yohohoho. So _Laboon_ is the name of the whale at the cape...," Brook laughed. Danni gave the skeleton a confused look, before realizing that he hadn't figured out just what Luffy was talking about.

Luffy laughed again, "Like I said, Brook, we've met Laboon at the Reverse Mountain! Really!" Brook's playing began to slow as what the young captain was saying began to sink in. "That's why we were in awe too! When we heard the pirates that guy was waiting for is _you_. And you even remembered the promise!" Luffy's grin was heading towards face splitting proportions as he continued, "If Laboon knows about it, then I'm sure he'll be really happy!"

Danni stood up, yawning again, and instead leaned against the wall so she wasn't sitting on the floor anymore. Brook's playing had slowed quite a bit and he seemed to be in shock as the information began to register in his mind. "Wait—wait a minute. This is really surprising! It's all too sudden! Have you really...seen Laboon? (Luffy nodded happily.) It has already been 50 years since then...? He is still waiting over there for me? Laboon!" His tone was a bit desperate when he asked, "Are you really telling the truth!?"

Luffy laughed bobbing his head up and down. Danni laughed as well, "We're proof, Brook-san!"

Sanji and Usopp arrived, nodded their heads in agreement, "We've really seen him!" Danni moved closer to Brook, sensing that the skeleton was about to reach a high emotional point.

"Is he still doing fine?"

"He's doing great!"

"Did he...grow big?"

"As big as a mountain!"

"Yohohoho...I really want to see him...because at the time we parted he was only the size of a small ship! He was so adorable!" Brook said, tone nostalgic and full of affection. "Although he isn't well tamed...he really loves music! He is a good boy... Even now, as I close my eyes, his face would appear right before me. His look would appear and linger in my mind."

The skeleton's fingers slammed into the piano keys and Danni placed a hand on the now sobbing skeleton's shoulder, squeezing. Brook had his hands on his forehead as he cried, "This is really awesome! So he is actually living and well!" Brook was eventually pulled out of his memories by Franky's shout asking why he'd stop playing. "Yohohoho. Just a moment!"

The skeleton pulled out a tone dial and placed it on the piano, explaining, "This is called a _tone dial_. I bought it off a merchant ship once upon a time. It's a very rare kind of shell that can record sound and play it back."

"Ahh, that's from Sky Island!" Luffy cheered, kicking his feet in the air.

Brook looked up at him, startled, "You are familiar with this...?" He then shook his head, pushing the question away for a later date. "I want to play this to Laboon when I meet him at last. I carry it with me at all times."

"So you've got something recorded in it?" Usopp asked curiously. Danni sat on the bench next to Brook, wondering what was recorded.

Brook nodded his head and answered, "A _song_. It's the voices of my crewmates singing back when they were still alive! It's a message for Laboon; something to tell him that we were all happy and merry right to the end of our journey. Would you mind if I played it?"

Luffy's grin widened and Danni couldn't help but the feel a bubble of excitement inside of herself. "Ooh! I wanna hear! I'm sure it'll make Laboon happy!" Danni scooted closer to the edge of the bench so she was out of the skeleton's way, peering up at him with an excited smile of her own. She loved pirate music. It reminded her of nakama, adventure, and the sea!

Danni stayed next to Brook as the song played, singing just as loudly and happily as the rest of the pirates, a wide smile on her face. There was no other song that could evoke her memories of her time spent with the Red Hair Pirates to run rampant in her mind and she couldn't hold back raising her voice even louder, or smiling even wider. This..._This was what home was_.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Well, there's Thriller Bark! I'm posting this chapter early, because I feel terrible making you guys wait so long. I don't have the next chapter finished yet, and for some reason I'm having a lot of issues with writing it. I know what I want to do, but I just can't seem to physically _type_ it and its beginning to really frustrate me! :I

But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, Sabaody is next!

Please leave a review on your way out! They're very much appreciated and I enjoy reading each one I receive! Really sorry about the wait for this chapter, and I'm sorry to say, that the next chapter might be a long wait too (sweatdrops)…


	16. Chapter 16

**Tired**

Danni yawned tiredly, rubbing her eyes as she plopped down roughly next to Usopp, silently accepting the cup of tea handed to her by the teen, who was looking at her worriedly. The woman seemed much paler and the bags are her eyes were much darker than usual, almost making her eyes look like they were bruised. "-heading for Saboady Archipelago!" Camie announced cheerfully. Danni blinked blearily, blowing on her tea before taking a sip and wondering idly why that name sounded familiar.

"Do we have to go there to get to Fishman Island, then?" Usopp asked, tearing his gaze away from his sickly looking crewmate.

Hachi was the one who answered, "Well, us Fishman and Mermaids and the like can just dive straight down there, but you're humans, so if you just dived down like that, you'd die from the pressure." Danni hid another yawn behind her cup, her head lolling forward a bit, before she forced it up, taking another sip of her tea. Sanji was giving her a worried stare as well, and Usopp's hands were slowing in their work on his newest invention.

"Yeah, even the submarine couldn't take it that far down," Franky added, casting a glance over at the exhausted looking gunner. Said woman stared around, rolling her shoulders lazily, before she stood from her spot and wandered over to where Zoro had sat down against the wall, joining the swordsman. She listened with one ear as the starfish explained the ways to Fishman Island, resting her head against Zoro's shoulder and blinking slowly.

She didn't know why she was feeling so exhausted, but she really didn't feel like her usual self. She was feeling lethargic and heavy like she was carrying an invisible amount of weight, but she didn't understand _why_. She was startled out of her thoughts by Zoro standing, an arm around her waist taking her with him. "It's pretty much underneath Mariejois itself. You just head straight down about ten thousand meters to the ocean floor and its right there! It's a great place!" Hachi was explaining.

Zoro yawned and asked, "Wasn't the Sky Islands about ten thousand meters straight up, too?" Danni didn't answer that as she stared out in front of the ship, realizing why Saboady Archipelago sounded so familiar. Her stomach dropped and she felt like she was going to sick, and it wasn't just because she was reminded about the slave trade or the discrimination against Fishmen and Mermaids.

The gunner managed to slip to the back of the ship and lean over the side just in time for everything she'd eaten that day came up and out. She gagged, coughing harshly as she leaned against the railing panting. Her stomach rolled again, but settled down quickly enough, and she sighed wearily, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the ship's railing, letting the cool breeze sooth her.

She felt marginally better, though still a bit heavy, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Her crew's excitement was helping in the matter, as well. Heaving another breath, she slipped down the stairs to go wash her mouth out, before she joined the group leaving the ship, ignoring the sharp look Zoro sent her way and the somewhat calculative gaze of her captain.

**Disrupter**

Danni took in the somewhat shabby looking building in front of them, nose twitching as she got a whiff of alcohol. The good kind too. She smirked. It may look like it was a rip off, but from the smell of good quality grog, it wasn't what it appeared. She followed behind Luffy, fingers absently caressing the butt of her rifle as she noticed the scent of blood underneath wood and alcohol and cloves.

"I wonder if Rayleigh and Shakky are here," Hachi mused as he swung the door open. Danni's brow furrowed. Rayleigh? Why did that name sound familiar?

She was pulled out of her musing when a mature but husky from smoke voice said, "Welcome. What can I do for you?" Danni popped her head around Hachi, blinking at the smoking, short haired woman who was holding up a broken and bleeding man. The woman stared at Hachi, before a smile split her face and she swung the man around easily as she said, "My, my, Hacchin!?"

Hachi blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he entered the bar further, Danni and Luffy following behind easily. "Nyuu. Sorry it's been so long, Shakky," the fishman said in response. Danni tuned out the rest of the conversation, following behind her captain, and hiding a tired yawn behind her hand. She was beginning to feel exhausted again, and she didn't like it.

It wasn't very long before Luffy found the fridge, and Danni peeked in behind him to see if there was anything she wanted. There wasn't, so she headed for the rack of bottles on the other side. She hummed under her breath as she examined the bottles. They were good quality and expensive tastes, which was definitely up her alley. She hadn't been able to get her hands on any really good grog lately, so to have some options available to her when she was feeling like crap was almost a godsend.

Luffy had already begun to stuff his mouth full of food, and Brooke had managed to sneak a bowl of beans out from beneath the boy. Danni snorted and finally decided on a bottle of sake, plucking one of the saké cups from the neighboring cupboard before she hopped up and over the bar, just as Shakky turned and said, "Ah...Of course-would you like some drinks...?" She trailed off as she took in the sight of Luffy rifling through her fridge and Brook eating a bowl of beans, and then Danni, who had just opened the bottle and poured herself a cup.

"Rifling through the fridge like this is your own home!?" Pappug screeched in shock, gaping at the three culprits. Danni quirked an eyebrow at the starfish and downed half of the cup. The alcohol burned down her throat and made her stomach get a warm, tingly feeling.

Shakky chuckled, a smile on her face as she said calmly, "Go ahead. I don't mind."

Chopper gaped, first at Shakky then at his crewmates and screeched in panic, "Luffy! Brook! _Danni_! She's gonna rip you off!" Danni snorted, wrinkling her nose before she downed the rest of the cup in her hand. Chopper looked at her worriedly, wanting desperately to give her a check up, but not willing to do it in front of some many unknowns.

"Oh, I won't be taking any payments from friends of Hacchin," Shakky laughed again before she held out a stick of candy floss, saying, "Here, you can have this." Chopper wasted no time in taking the candy floss from her with an excited shriek. Danni kept one eye on her crew as she poured herself another cup, fighting back a yawn.

Luffy turned his face to look as Shakky, asking with his cheeks stuffed full, "Oba-chan, how do you know Chopper's favorite food?"

The woman smiled, standing and making her way over to the pirate captain, "Why, you're the Monkey-chan crew, aren't you?" Luffy looked at her with wide eyes and made a shocked exclamation about her knowing about him. Danni snorted in amusement, draining her cup in one go again. Luffy wouldn't even know he was famous if it hadn't been for Nami. "But of course, you're a hot topic, and I'm a well informed sort of person."

Camie smiled and piped up cheerily, "So you're famous, Luffy-chin!" Danni hummed, pouring herself another class and only taking a sip this time, placing her chin on her hand. The gunner didn't even flinch when Luffy hopped over the bar and landed on the stool next to her with crossed legs.

"Although I admit I hadn't heard of a skeleton in your crew...or that skeletons could move about...," Shakky mused with an interested look as she set about making tea, setting a cup down in front of Luffy as she continued, "But I've read the articles about the Enies Lobby incident. How much of it is true? I suppose the government did pick a fight with you?"

She poured the tea into the cup and Luffy scowled half heartedly as he responded, "Aw, c'mon. It'd be boring to go over it all again." Danni huffed under her breath, her hand reaching out and curling around the hem of Luffy's vest subconsciously as she took another sip of her drink. Shakky's eyes flickered over to the tired looking girl and frowned briefly.

"Not the type to boast?" the bartender laughed, smothering her frown easily. "Impressive. Though you have the same name as Garp of the Marines...?" She trailed off letting Luffy fill in the blank, which he did with a pout as he took a sip of his hot tea, shifting slightly so that he was leaning ever so slightly towards Danni. The gunner was fighting to keep her eyes open and her body from trembling. Her bones were aching and she felt like she was carrying an exhaustingly heavy weight.

"I thought as much. I was chased by Garp myself in the past, you know," Shakky said with a smile as she leaned on the bar counter, chin on her hand and holding her cigarette with said hand. Danni blinked slowly, giving the bartender a strange look, though Luffy was the one that asked why.

Hachi piped in helpfully here with, "Oh, Shakky used to be a pirate!"

"Though I gave that all up about forty years ago now," Shakky said cheerfully, making both Luffy and Danni sweat drop.

Luffy looked at her with a weird look and asked, "Oba-chan...how old _are_ you?"

Shakky easily ignored the question and continued, still with a smile on her face, "These days, I just find my fun in supporting rookies like yourselves!" Danni chuckled into her cup, taking another sip and sighing in relief when the burn woke her up a bit. With the way she was feeling she just might have to ask if she can take the whole bottle with her.

"By the way, Shakky-" Hachi started, but the bartender/former pirate interrupted him with a raised hand and smile.

"Oh, don't bother. I already know what you're going to say," she smiled. "I'm sure the reason you and Camie-chan went out of your way to go all this way across land was so you could guide Monkey-chan and his friends here to get their ship coated, right?" Luffy blew at his tea, watching the way the steam curled away from his cup before he took another gulp. Danni still had a grip on his vest, but he didn't mind it. "Basically, you're here with a job for Rayleigh, yes?"

Hachi agreed, and Shakky sighed, "But he's not here, you see?"

Luffy gaped and if it had been seconds before he would have spat out his drink. "Huh!? The engineer's not here!? But we wanna go to Fishman Island!"

Shakky laughed raising up a placating hand. "Well, it isn't as if he's left the Archipelago altogether. Why don't you go search the bars and gambling houses?" the former pirate soothed, and Danni had the feeling there was a bit more to it than just that. But seriously, where had she heard the name Rayleigh before?

Luffy smiled easily holding his cup up and preparing to drink it as he asked, "We can just wait here for him to come back, right?"

Shakky took a drag of her cigarette as she replied, "True. I'm sure he'll be back one day ...though he hasn't returned for half a year now." Luffy and Chopper made an in synch exclamation of shock, and the woman continued, "I suppose he just hangs around; finding woman, borrowing beds here and there. It's not that I'm worried about his health, but, well, when he goes off, he just doesn't come back for a while. I guess that's just how former pirates are."

"So the engineer-ossan was a pirate too!?" Luffy exclaimed, practically sparkling.

It suddenly clicked with Danni why the name Rayleigh was so familiar. "Ah," she said, blinking slowly as a smile started to spread across her face. "So that's why." Luffy blinked over at her, confusion evident, but she merely shook her head at him, lips still pulled in a smile. She'd let them find out on their own. It would be more fun that way.

"Well, this is a bit of a fix. I suppose we'll just have to search," Brook mused. "Do you have any idea where we should start?"

Shakky hummed thoughtfully, "Let's see... He's likely to be within Groves 1 to 29. After all he's notorious himself (Danni snorted. That was an understatement.); he couldn't let his guard down around marines. And if he's not within there..., anywhere else...hmm, well, he does like the Saboady Park..."

"Well, that's that, then," Danni muttered, releasing her grip on her captain's vest as he cheered, him, Chopper, and Camie practically sparkling as they cheered.

**Auction**

Danni sat down next to Camie heavily, slouching over and holding a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. Her stomach rolled uncomfortably and she groaned softly, unable to help it. "Damnit," she hissed under her breath.

"Danni-chan, are you okay?" Camie asked worriedly, twisting her hands in her lap and looking over at the older woman in worry. The others had all gone to go get ice cream, but Danni had said she'd stay with Camie, declining Luffy's offer of bringing her back ice cream. Camie had noted that Luffy had look upset at that, but reluctantly agreed and had hopped away.

The gunner looked up, her eyes blinking open slowly and she started to nod, but stopped midway as she tasted blood in the back of her throat. She hurriedly turned away from the mermaid, not wanting her to see, and coughed harshly, blood splashing against her hands and onto the bench. "Danni-chan!" The woman had no time to react before arms were around her in a tight hold, restricting her arms and a large hand was covering her mouth.

Her eyes flickered around wildly, panic bubbling up inside of her as her body refused to cooperate and she was stuffed inside of a bag, the last thing she saw being Camie (wide eyed and terrified) being stuffed in another bag. The pirate struggled to breath, blood splashing past her lips and dribbling down her chin as she coughed weakly. Her hands had been tied behind her back and her rifle had been left behind on the bench.

It wasn't long before both she and Camie were taken from the bags and the mermaid was screaming at the kidnappers, struggling violently in their hold. Danni ripped herself from the arms holding her, rubbing her mouth against her shoulder, smearing blood all over her hoodie, and glared at the auctioneers. "I can walk by myself, thank you," she said coldly, looking down her nose at them, even though they were taller _and_ bigger than her.

The auctioneers shuffled nervously under the pirate's cold glare, wondering if it had really been a good idea on receiving the dark haired woman. Danni scoffed at them and stepped up so that she was standing next to Camie, who still had her arms being held back by a man dressed as a clown. A sleazy looking man was gripping the mermaid's face, and laughing, "Hoh! Now this is quite the rarity! This will fetch a good price! A real feisty one, too! And in good shape!"

Danni's eyes flashed, and she bit her cheek to stop herself from saying something potentially stupid. Her crewmate's emotions were a swirling maelstrom inside of her, but Luffy's cold rage was nearly suffocating to her as it overrode everyone else's frantic and roiling emotions. Her captain _was not happy_. "Who brought it in?" the man asked. One of his employees answered and he hummed, "Well, Peterman certainly has proved himself this time! And to think the Flying Fish Rider's haven't brought a single specimen..."

Camie's bottom lip trembled and she screwed her eyes shut as she stuck her tongue out at the man, ripping her face out of his grip in the process. Danni moved quickly, shouldering the mermaid out of the way and letting the hard slap hit her cheek instead. Her head snapped to the side and the area fell silent. Slowly, she turned her face back to the man, eyes dark and foreboding, leeching some of her captain's rage and merging it with her own.

Unbeknownst to the gunner, in doing so it made her expression much more feral and dangerous looking.

"You shouldn't hit the _merchandise _like that," the words were hissed out in an obviously disgusted tone. "Especially when it's worth so _much_." The sleazy man wouldn't admit to the shiver of fear that crawled down his back in the face of this woman, who stood with her back straight and expression fierce, especially with faint marks of blood around her mouth and neck and the stains on her hood.

"And what are you?" the man sneered, not asking her, but his employees instead.

Danni answered anyways, considering the employees actually had no idea _who_ she was. "A pirate," she said in an almost lazy drawl that reminded the man strongly of a hunting feline of the wild. He quickly hid the fear behind indignant rage and struck her again, this time on the other cheek. Before he could strike her again, a wave of power washed over the group and he crumpled to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Danni blinked, eyes searching for the source rapidly, but unable to find it. She recognized that power. She'd felt it a few times before. Once from Shanks, and a couple times from her _own_ captain. She glanced down at the fallen man, narrowing her eyes in disgust, but didn't resist when she was collared and led to her spot in the cage, placed away from Camie and instead on the other side of a giant, next to a silver haired man with an interesting beard.

She had managed to catch Camie's eyes and give her a reassuring smile before they were separated, and she hoped the mermaid took comfort in her smile. She wasn't all that sure she looked the best, considering how pale she must be and the more than likely already forming bruises on both cheeks. She sighed tiredly and leant back against the wall, folding her legs under her on the crate, and closing her eyes. She could still feel her crew's panic, anger, and determination swirling inside her and it brought her comfort. Her crew would save them.

She kind of wished she would stop getting kidnapped like this, though.

**Hype**

Danni's eyes snapped open when she heard a gunshot and a sudden wave of ferocious _fury_ nearly made her choke. She hunched over, clutching her chest and gasping heavily, "Lu...ffy..." There was a deafening crash from outside of the room and she stumbled to her feet, nearly pitching over if it weren't for weathered hands catching her.

"Easy now," a voice rumbled. Danni gasped, sweat dripping down her face as the rage simmered and boiled. Her body felt hot and heavy and not in a good way. She moaned weakly, body trembling faintly. "You need to breath, focus on me, not him," the voice continued, and she struggled to do as asked, but the sheer anger, even though it was minimized, it stayed with her; sucked her in until it was close to suffocating her.

"_Focus on me_," the voice commanded and with sudden sharp clarity she could breath. She hadn't realized she'd stopped. The gunner coughed and blood dribbled from her mouth, but it wasn't as bad as it had been before. Her lips trembled and she focused on breathing and not the tightly leashed rage she could still feel creeping at the edges, waiting for a moment to consume her once again. The shackles keeping her wrists behind her back suddenly clattered to the floor, and her hands instinctively latched onto the man holding her up.

"That's it," the man continued soothingly. "Good girl. Better?" Danni swallowed heavily, grimacing at the all too familiar taste of blood, and looked up into dark eyes behind wire frames.

She stared, her breath slowly evening out before she blurted out before her brain could properly process it, "Ray-jiji?"

The silver haired man blinked down at her and then peered closer before huffing out a laugh, "You take after your dad!" Danni felt her cheeks flush and the grip she had on the man relaxed as she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. Rayleigh gave her an amused look before he stood, stretching easily. "Well, let's get that collar off and find the money, yeah?"

**Drink**

Danni startled awake as Luffy screamed Usopp's name, wondering what the hell had happened when she was sleeping. She sat up, rubbing her eyes somewhat grumpily, and looking at her captain, who was standing on his stool with one foot on the bar and glaring at their sharpshooter angrily. "We are not asking him where the treasure is hidden!" Luffy said fiercely. Everyone's eyes were glued to the straw hat wearing teen, some with wide eyes, while others with contemplative ones.

"We're not asking him whether there is treasure or not! I'm not sure, but everybody set out to sea, risking their lives to search for it!" Luffy looked at his crew with serious eyes, no smile in sight whatsoever and completely genuine in his next words. "If you ask this old man anything about it here and now...then I'll quit being a pirate! I don't want to go on a boring adventure like that!"

Usopp swallowed and shook his head rapidly, and Danni sighed, shaking her head and grabbing the bottle of sake that was next to her and pouring herself a drink. She ignored the sharpshooter's apologies and such, downing the cup in one go and keeping one eye on her captain, who Rayleigh had turned to. "Can you really do this?" the former pirate asked. "The Grand Line is just going to keep on surpassing your wildest imaginations and the enemies will be strong. Can you really conquer this ultimate ocean?"

Danni barely refrained from snorting in her drink. Luffy blinked at the old man before a wide grin stretched across his face and he laughed, "I don't want to conquer anything. I just think the guy with the most freedom in this whole ocean is the Pirate King!"

Rayleigh had a somewhat secretive smile as he murmured, standing from his stool, "Is that right..."

Shakky chuckled, smile on her face as she said cheerfully, "I think I really am becoming a big fan of yours, Monkey-chan." Danni hid a smile behind her cup. Yes, her captain had a knack for doing that. She was pretty sure most of their enemies ended up either becoming a friend or giving their grudging respect towards him.

**Massacre**

"ZORO!" Danni screamed, easily catching the other's attention, but it was useless. Brooke's sword went straight through Kizaru's leg and Usopp's weapons weren't any better. She tried to move but her legs refused to cooperate, and she knew her guns wouldn't be of any use. She swallowed and forced her legs to move, just as Robin's hands began to move Zoro out of the way.

The gunner bit through her lip to withhold the scream of pain as Kizaru's foot slammed into her back, where'd she'd managed to block from hitting Zoro instead. "You're not going anywhere, even with _her_ shielding you," Kizaru muttered, staring down his nose at the two. While Danni's move had blocked Zoro from getting hit by it, it had the unfortunate consequence of _her_ pinning Zoro in place, unable to be moved.

The admiral raised his leg to slam it once more into the two pirates, but Rayleigh was suddenly there, blocking the kick with his own kick. Danni coughed, staring up with wide eyes, "Ray-jiji..?" Blood was smeared down her chin and there was some dripping from her nose. She was also covered in dirt, grime, and all sorts of other things from the earlier altercations. That wasn't mentioning the other wounds she had and the hidden dried blood.

"So it's time for you to take the stage, _Dark King _Rayleigh...," Kizaru sneered.

Rayleigh grinned roguishly and replied back with a laugh, "Don't go plucking fine sprouts...It's only just the beginning of their era!" Danni struggled into a somewhat upright position, looking up at the man that her father and Shanks had spoken of with great fondness and respect. She couldn't believe it. He had saved them.

"I'd admit I'd heard rumors that you were somewhere on this island...looks like they were actually true! Helping rookies like these...once a pirate, always a pirate, eh, Rayleigh-san?" Kizaru sneered, cocking his head to the side and scratching his chin.

Rayleigh kept smiling, laughing easily, "To be fair, if you'd just tear up that wanted poster of mine, I could go into a nice, peaceful retirement." Danni stifled a snicker, coughing up blood instead. She was feeling a little out of whack. Her body was still feeling heavy and lethargic, and add all of her new wounds and her sickness and all of the high emotions form her nakama, she really wasn't feeling in synch with herself.

"The sins of the pirate do not simply disappear," Kizaru drawled, stuffing his hand back in his pocket. "Much less those of the Roger Pirates. Unfortunately, if I were to capture you here, you wouldn't exactly be...the _easiest_ of captives to deal with, to say the least."

The air around Rayleigh suddenly grew heavy, though he was still smiling with humor. "Now, I wonder if you would be willing to let these kids go for now...," the former pirate said cheerfully, peering over the rim of his glasses. "...Eh, Kizaru-kun...?"

The tall admiral stared down at the older man and replied with a scoff, "Please don't be like that. You know I have to capture them right away. Otherwise we of Marine HQ will be unable to show our faces before the Tenryuubito of Mariejois..." The air around the marine got heavier as well as he added, "Could you please stop getting in my way!?"

Danni wheezed, fingers trembling around her grip on her weapon when she heard her captain scream, "USOPP! BROOK! TAKE ZORO AND DANNI AND FLEE!" She struggled to her feet, Brook only able to help her keep steady while holding Zoro's swords, while Usopp hefted Zoro up on his shoulder and together they ran. "EVERYONE! DON'T THINK OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN ESCAPING!" Danni had to refrain from curling into herself as she felt Luffy's fear, determination, and reluctance as he continued desperately, "WE AT THIS TIME CANNOT DEFEAT THEM!"

Everything after that was blurry for Danni. She couldn't help but curse her weakness as her nakama was hurt one right after the other. She tried to keep her tears at bay, but it wasn't working very well. She screamed as she was hit with a blast from the Pacifista, crashing into the ground next to Zoro. She panted, holding back pained whimpers as she forced herself up onto her hands and knees. Her ears were ringing faintly, but she heard that voice that left chills crawling down her spine say, "Halt! Pacifista One!"

She stared up at the imposing figure, eyes wide with fear, Usopp's cries going in one ear and out the other. Zoro struggled to his feet, panting heavily and wounds pouring blood. "So you actually lived," Kuma said plainly with no inflection. "Roronoa."

"Thanks to...the mercy you showed me," Zoro responded painfully, his breathing heavily labored. Danni stared at Kuma, noting with a distant sort of worry that the Shichibukai was taking off one of his gloves. She could hear Chopper in the distance, the gaping hole of _darkness _threatening to open up inside of her and swallow her whole, but she couldn't let it.

Kuma stared down at the swordsman, and his next words echoed in her mind, though they weren't directed at her, "If you are going on a trip, where would you like to go?" Danni's eyes widened and she stretched her hand out, reaching for Zoro, but her fingers only clenched around air. Kuma's hand had hit the swordsman and he was gone with a pop.

"Zo...ro...?" she croaked, staring at the spot he had just been with disbelieving eyes. She couldn't hear anything going on around her as a sharp pain of loneliness and _failure_ rushed over her like a tidal wave, drowning everything else out. Danni trembled, her arm falling to her side limply as she continued to stare at the spot. She was only vaguely aware of various shouts around her, and Sanji appearing next to the group with a snarl, and Usopp standing in front of her protectively, brandishing his slingshot in front of him, but none of it registered.

"ALL FOUR OF YOU RUNN!" Luffy's scream pierced through the heavy veil over her and she jerked violently. Her captain's emotions were a whirlwind and it only made her own a confused jumbled mess. "EVERYBODY GET OUT OF HERE, NOW! WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHAT TO DO AFTERWARDS!"

Danni grunted as Usopp helped her up, keeping one arm around her waist as he helped Sanji up as well, saying, "C'mon! I just got grazed by his beam, that's all! Take my shoulder, quick!"

Brook suddenly leaped from the ground with a shout, "Watch out!" Usopp turned with a cry of the skeleton's name, but Brook spread his arms out, standing in front of them protectively as he cried, "I will protect you! Even if it costs me my life!" Kuma's hand swung down and cut off the musician's next words, "Oh wait...I'm already—"

Danni let out a sound similar to a wounded animal as Brook disappeared with a pop as well. Sanji wrenched himself out of Usopp's arms, pulling at his hair as he growled furiously, "Shit! What the hell am I playing at!? Losing two friends right before my own eyes!" The blonde chef shoved the two of them behind him, shouting, "Usopp, Danni! Run!"

Danni's bottom lip trembled, a hole that had formed from the disappearance of Zoro suddenly gaping open wider. Usopp reached a hand out for the cook, saying desperately, "Don't be stupid! We're going together!"

"RUN, SANJI! YOU HAVE TO RUN!" Luffy screamed desperately. Danni didn't think, only leaped after Sanji, arms circling his waist just as Kuma blocked the blonde's kick with his hand, sending them flying away. The force of the push had her letting go of the cook, and her flying in a different direction, crashing into a tree violently.

Her back arched and she coughed, blood splashing out of her mouth as her eyes rolled back from the force. She heard Usopp screaming and explosions, and then it was cut off by a pop. She collapsed to the ground, tears blurring her vision as she saw Usopp no longer there, and Sanji charging Kuma, only to disappear with a pop as well. The hole inside of her gaped open even further.

She struggled to stand, but her body refused to obey her and she could only watch as Kuma vanished, appearing next to Rayleigh, saying something and then Luffy was charging at the Shichibukai only for the bear of a man to vanish again. He reappeared in front of Franky and Nami. The cyborg roared and sent a punch at Kuma and Luffy screamed, "FRANKY!"

The pirate captain charged with a roar, not listening to Robin as she reached out for him and called out desperately, "Wait, Luffy! You're doing exactly what he wants you to do!" Kuma easily blocked Luffy's attack, sending him flying with a crash, before reaching for Franky and making the cyborg disappear with a pop as well.

Danni finally pushed herself to her feet, clutching her rifle and bag desperately as tears streamed down her face as another one of her nakama vanished. Luffy's anguish was swirling and mixing with her own and her fear only built as she watched with wide eyes, unable to do anything as Nami turned to Luffy, tears in her fear filled eyes as she reached out to him. "Luffy! Help—"

Her plea was cut off as she too disappeared with a pop. Luffy let loose a roar, his anguish and helplessness and anger and _fear_ meshing and filling her own past its breaking point. She opened her mouth to yell, to scream, to _say something_ but nothing came out. Luffy rushed at Kuma again, only to be flung away like a fly as the Shichibukai vanished and reappeared in front of Robin who looked up at him in fear. Chopper suddenly crashed into the scene with a loud, ferocious roar aiming for an attack at Kuma.

"STOP THIS ALREADY!" Luffy howled, rushing towards to where Chopper, Kuma and Robin were. "STOP IT! _PLEASE_!" But he didn't listen and Chopper vanished as well. Robin spun on her heel beginning to run away. "Robin! Run for it!"

The archeologist glanced back at Luffy, fear on her face, as she called, "Luffy—" Whatever she was going to say was cut off as Kuma's hand swung at her and she was gone too. Danni tried to make her way to Luffy, who was only feet away from her, forcing her tired and sluggish body to _move_.

"Luffy—you—you have to listen to me!" she panted, aware already that she was going to be next, as Kuma was already making his way towards them. She tried to push herself closer to her captain who was looking at her with wide, fearful eyes and it broke her heart into pieces.

"Danni!" he cried, reaching out for her.

She stretched her own arm out towards him, and their fingers touched. "We'll meet ag—" she was cut off as the hand swinging towards her hit her and all she knew was _anguish and pain painpainpainPAIN_.

Then darkness.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Damn, this took me forever. I am _so_ sorry, this took almost a month to get written and posted! Please forgive me! The next few chapters will most likely take much longer than my other chapters, because they'll be detailing Danni's adventures during the time skip, so I have to finish plotting out what she does and such during that time, which will take more time for me. So I apologize in advance!

A few notes about this chapter, the reason for Danni not feeling like herself and more sick-ish, is because of the island's atmosphere. It has negative effects on her body and disease, thus her weakness. Also, her attunement to the crew's emotions is more amplified on the island, because of its negative effects on her body. I think that's it for now, if you have any questions drop me a line and I'll answer as best as I can!

For those of you that are not aware, I have uploaded the story with all of the AU's dealing with Danni, so if you'd like go check that out!

Reviews are welcome and very much appreciated! I read each one and then bring me immense joy and encouragement to continue writing!


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